13550 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 49 / Monday, March 14, 2011 / Proposed Rules 

agency action, and public participation 

and input. However, important 

information as to the consequences of a 

rule, including its costs and benefits, 

comes from practical, real-world 

experience (both on the part of the 

public and on the part of the agency) 

after rules have been implemented. 

Regulated entities and members of the 

public affected by or interested in 

NOAA’s regulations are likely to have 

useful information and perspectives on 

the benefits and burdens of existing 

requirements beyond what was 

available at the time regulations were 

issued. Interested parties may also be 

well-positioned to identify those rules 

that are most in need of review; NOAA 

would find such input helpful as it 

considers how to prioritize and properly 

tailor its retrospective review process 

for significant regulations. In short, 

engaging the public in an open, 

transparent process is a crucial step in 

NOAA’s review of its existing 

regulations. 

NOAA recognizes that the public 

comment period set forth in this 

Request for Information (RFI) is shorter 

than the 30–60 day (or longer) comment 

periods that may be used for proposed 

rules. That is because of consideration 

of the timing requirements under the 

Executive Order, and because NOAA is 

not asking for detailed comments on the 

substance of specific regulation, only 

comments pertaining to the 

retrospective review plan which is 

under development. 

Questions for the Public 

Comments will be most helpful if they 

provide examples and a detailed 

explanation of how the suggestion will 

support NOAA’s mission in a way that 

is more efficient and less burdensome. 

In providing comments, please keep 

these key considerations in mind: 

• Retrospective review does not allow 

NOAA to contravene requirements of its 

various statutory mandates. In addition, 

where NOAA’s discretion has been 

limited by law, as is the case with 

fishery management plans and 

regulations developed by Regional 

Fishery Management Councils under the 

Magnuson-Stevens Act, 16 U.S.C. 304, 

NOAA’s ability to modify, streamline, 

expand, or repeal regulations is 

similarly constrained. 

• NOAA currently conducts periodic 

review of existing regulations pursuant 

to statutory mandates. For instance, 

NOAA’s Office of National Marine 

Sanctuaries is required by the National 

Marine Sanctuaries Act, 16 U.S.C. 

1434(e), to periodically review 

sanctuary management plans to ensure 

that sanctuary management continues to 

best conserve, protect, and enhance the 

nationally significant living and cultural 

resources at each site. Such review 

provides sanctuary management with an 

ongoing opportunity to review existing 

regulations, amend existing regulations 

(as deemed necessary), and generally 

outline future regulatory goals in the 

management plans. Similarly, pursuant 

to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act, 

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries 

Service (as delegated from the Secretary 

of Commerce) is required to review at 

routine intervals that may not exceed 

two years any fishery management 

plans, plan amendments, or regulations 

for fisheries that are experiencing 

overfishing or in need of rebuilding. 16 

U.S.C. 1854(e)(7). For many fisheries, 

revisions to plans and regulations occur 

with even greater frequency, as National 

Standard 2 of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act requires that conservation and 

management measures be based on the 

best scientific information available. Id. 

§ 1851(a)(2). We seek your input on 

developing a review plan that is 

integrated with those existing 

requirements. 

• Our plan will be tailored to reflect 

our resources, rulemaking history, and 

the volume of significant regulations at 

issue. 

NOAA intends the questions below to 

elicit useful information as the agency 

develops a preliminary plan for possible 

review of its significant regulations. 

These questions are not intended to be 

exhaustive. You may raise other issues 

or make suggestions unrelated to these 

questions that you believe would help 

the agency develop better regulations. 

(1) How can NOAA review its existing 

significant rules in a way that will 

identify rules that can and should be 

changed, streamlined, consolidated, or 

removed? NOAA encourages those 

submitting comments to include a 

proposed process under which such a 

review could be regularly undertaken. 

(2) How can NOAA reduce burdens 

and maintain flexibility and choice for 

the public in a way that will promote 

and achieve its mission? 

(3) Does NOAA have rules or 

guidance that are duplicative or that 

have conflicting requirements among its 

components or with other agencies? If 

so, please specifically identify the rules 

or guidance and suggest ways NOAA 

can streamline, consolidate, or make 

these regulations work better. 

(4) Are there better ways to encourage 

public participation and an open 

exchange of views when NOAA engages 

in rulemaking? 

(5) Are there rules or guidance that is 

working well that could be used as 

models for improving other regulations? 

If so, please specifically identify the rule 

or guidance. 

(6) Are NOAA regulations and 

guidance written in language that is 

clear and easy to understand, consistent 

with statutory requirements? Please 

identify specific regulations and 

guidance that are good candidates for a 

plain language re-write and also identify 

regulations that are written clearly that 

could be used as models. 

(7) What are some suggestions that 

NOAA can use to assure that its 

regulations promote and achieve its 

mission in ways that are efficient and 

less burdensome? 

(8) Which significant regulations have 

proven to be excessively burdensome? 

What data support this? What 

suggestions do you have for reducing 

the burden and maintaining and 

achieving NOAA’s mission? 

(9) Which significant regulations 

could be made more flexible within the 

existing legal framework? What data 

support this? 

(10) Are there regulations that have 

become ineffective or been overtaken by 

technological or other change and, if so, 

what are they? How can they be 

modernized to accomplish the statutory 

or regulatory objective better? 

NOAA will consider public input as 

we develop a plan to periodically 

review the agency’s significant rules. 

NOAA notes that this Request for 

Information is issued solely for 

information and program-planning 

purposes. The agency will give careful 

consideration to the responses, and may 

use them as appropriate during the 

retrospective review, but we do not 

anticipate providing a response to each 

comment submitted. While responses to 

this RFI do not bind NOAA to any 

further actions related to the response, 

all submissions will be made publically 

available on http://www.regulations.gov. 

Dated: March 7, 2011. 

Lois J. Schiffer, 

General Counsel, National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2011–5681 Filed 3–11–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–12–P 

FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 

16 CFR Part 301 

RIN 3084–AB26 

Fur Products Labeling Act 

AGENCY: Federal Trade Commission 

(FTC or Commission). 

ACTION: Advance notice of proposed 

rulemaking; request for comment. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 49 / Monday, March 14, 2011 / Proposed Rules 13551 

SUMMARY: In December 2010, Congress 

passed the Truth in Fur Labeling Act 

(TFLA), which amends the Fur Products 

Labeling Act (Fur Act) by: (1) 

Eliminating the Commission’s 

discretion to exempt fur products of 

relatively small quantity or value from 

disclosure requirements; and (2) 

providing that the Fur Act will not 

apply to certain fur products obtained 

through trapping or hunting and sold in 

face to face transactions. TFLA also 

directs the Commission to review and 

allow comment on the Fur Products 

Name Guide (Name Guide). 

Accordingly, the Commission publishes 

this Advance Notice of Proposed 

Rulemaking (ANPR) and request for 

comment. In addition to seeking 

comment on the Name Guide, the 

Commission, as part of its systematic 

review of all current FTC rules and 

guides, requests comment on all of its 

Fur Act regulations (Fur Rules or Rules). 

DATES: Written comments must be 

received by May 16, 2011. 

ADDRESSES: Interested parties are 

invited to submit written comments 

electronically or in paper form by 

following the instructions in the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section 

below. Comments in electronic form 

should be submitted by using the 

following Web link: https:// 

ftcpublic.commentworks.com/ftc/ 

furrulesreview (and following the 

instructions on the Web-based form). 

Comments filed in paper form should be 

mailed or delivered to the following 

address: Federal Trade Commission, 

Office of the Secretary, Room H–113 

(Annex O), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, 

NW., Washington, DC 20580, in the 

manner detailed in the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION section below. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Matthew Wilshire, (202) 326–2976, 

Attorney, Division of Enforcement, 

Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal 

Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania 

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20580. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

A. The Fur Act and Rules 

The Fur Act prohibits misbranding 

and false advertising of fur products, 

and requires labeling of most fur 

products. 15 U.S.C. 69 et seq. Pursuant 

to this Act, the Commission 

promulgated the Fur Rules to establish 

disclosure requirements that assist 

consumers in making informed 

purchasing decisions. 16 CFR part 301. 

Specifically, the Fur Act and Rules 

require fur manufacturers, dealers, and 

retailers to place labels on products 

made entirely or partly of fur disclosing: 

(1) The animal’s name as provided in 

the Name Guide; (2) the presence of any 

used, bleached, dyed, or otherwise 

artificially colored fur; (3) that the 

garment is composed of paws, tails, 

bellies, or waste fur, if that is the case; 

(4) the name or Registered Identification 

Number of the manufacturer or other 

party responsible for the garment; and 

(5) the garment’s country of origin. 15 

U.S.C. 69b(2); 16 CFR 301.2(a). In 

addition, manufacturers must include 

an item number or mark on the label for 

identification purposes. 16 CFR 301.40. 

The Fur Rules also provide 

requirements for advertising fur 

products. 16 CFR 301.38. Finally, to 

assist the Commission in enforcing 

these requirements, the Rules contain 

recordkeeping requirements. 16 CFR 

301.37; 301.41. 

Prior to amendment by TFLA, the Fur 

Act authorized the Commission to 

exempt fur products of ‘‘relatively small 

quantity or values from labeling 

requirements. 15 U.S.C. 69(d). 

Exercising this soon-to-expire authority, 

the Fur Rules contain a de minimis 

exemption’’ that provides: 

If the cost of any fur trim or other 

manufactured fur or furs contained in a fur 

product, exclusive of any costs incident to its 

incorporation therein, does not exceed one 

hundred fifty dollars ($150) to the 

manufacturer of the finished fur product, or 

if a manufacturer’s selling price of a fur 

product does not exceed one hundred fifty 

dollars ($150), and the provisions of 

paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section are met, 

the fur product shall be exempted from the 

requirements of the Act and Regulations in 

this part. * * * 16 CFR 301.39(a). 

Thus, prior to TFLA’s effective date, 

retailers can lawfully sell garments 

containing fur or fur trim with a 

component value of $150 or less 

without a fur-content label. 

B. TFLA 

On December 18, 2010, the President 

signed TFLA into law. That Act 

contains two amendments to the Fur 

Act. First, it eliminates the provision in 

Section 2(d) of the Fur Act that 

empowered the Commission to exempt 

fur products ‘‘of relatively small 

quantity or value of the fur or used fur 

contained therein 15 U.S.C. 69(d). This 

amendment is effective 90 days from 

TFLA’s enactment—March 18, 2011. 

Public Law 111–113, § 2. Second, TFLA 

provides a new exemption for furs sold 

directly by trappers and hunters to enduse customers in certain face-to-face 

transactions (‘‘hunter/trapper 

exemptions): 

No provision of [the Fur Act] shall apply 

to a fur product—(1) the fur of which was 

obtained from an animal through trapping or 

hunting; and (2) when sold in a face to face 

transaction at a place such as a residence, 

craft fair, or other location used on a 

temporary or short term basis, by the person 

who trapped or hunted the animal, where the 

revenue from the sale of apparel or fur 

products is not the primary source of income 

of such person. Pub. L. No. 111–113, § 3. 

TFLA also directs the Commission to 

initiate a review and opportunity to 

comment on the Name Guide. TFLA 

gives the Commission 90 days from 

enactment to commence the review. 

II. Future Rule Amendments 

TFLA’s amendments will require 

conforming changes to the Fur Rules. 

Specifically, there will no longer be a 

statutory basis for the Fur Rules’ de 

minimis exemption, and previously 

exempted fur products will require 

labels. Therefore, the Commission must 

delete the exemption from its Rules. In 

addition, the Commission will propose 

revisions making clear that the Fur 

Rules do not apply to products covered 

by TFLA hunter/trapper exemption. 

Accordingly, the Commission will 

issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 

that will propose changes in light of 

TFLA and may propose other changes in 

response to comments solicited by this 

document. Meanwhile, fur products 

previously covered by the de minimis 

exemption will be subject to the Fur 

Act’s disclosure requirements, as of 

March 18, 2011, even though the 

exemption will remain in the Fur Rules 

until the Commission issues final 

amendments. Congress has rescinded 

the Commission’s authority to exempt 

such products, and, therefore, there is 

no longer a legal basis for the de 

minimis exemption. 

III. Regulatory Review Program 

In light of TFLA’s directive, and 

consistent with the Commission’s policy 

to periodically review its rules and 

guides, the Commission solicits 

comments on the Fur Rules in general 

and the Name Guide in particular. In 

addition to comments regarding the 

Name Guide, the Commission seeks 

comment on, among other things, the 

economic impact of, and the continuing 

need for, the Fur Rule provisions; the 

benefits of the Rules to consumers; and 

the burdens the Rules place on those 

subject to its requirements. The 

Commission seeks comment on the 

specific questions listed below in 

Section IV. 

IV. Request for Comment 

The Commission solicits comment on 

the following specific questions related 

to the Fur Rules: 


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13552 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 49 / Monday, March 14, 2011 / Proposed Rules 

1The comment must be accompanied by an 

explicit request for confidential treatment, 

including the factual and legal basis for the request, 

and must identify the specific portions of the 

comment to be withheld from the public record. 

The request will be granted or denied by the 

Commission’s General Counsel, consistent with 

applicable law and the public interest. See FTC 

Rule 4.9(c), 16 CFR 4.9(c). 

(1) Is there a continuing need for the Rules 

as currently promulgated? Why or why not? 

(2) What benefits have the Rules provided 

to consumers? What evidence supports the 

asserted benefits? 

(3) What modifications, if any, should the 

Commission make to the Rules to increase 

their benefits to consumers? 

(a) What evidence supports your proposed 

modifications? 

(b) How would these modifications affect 

the costs and benefits of the Rules for 

consumers? 

(c) How would these modifications affect 

the costs and benefits of the Rules for 

businesses, particularly small businesses? 

(4) What impact have the Rules had on the 

flow of truthful information to consumers 

and on the flow of deceptive information to 

consumers? 

(5) What significant costs have the Rules 

imposed on consumers? What evidence 

supports the asserted costs? 

(6) What modifications, if any, should be 

made to the Rules to reduce the costs 

imposed on consumers? 

(a) What evidence supports your proposed 

modifications? 

(b) How would these modifications affect 

the costs and benefits of the Rules for 

consumers? 

(c) How would these modifications affect 

the costs and benefits of the Rules for 

businesses, particularly small businesses? 

(7) What benefits, if any, have the Rules 

provided to businesses, and in particular to 

small businesses? What evidence supports 

the asserted benefits? 

(8) What modifications, if any, should be 

made to the Rules to increase its benefits to 

businesses, and particularly to small 

businesses? 

(a) What evidence supports your proposed 

modifications? 

(b) How would these modifications affect 

the costs and benefits of the Rules for 

consumers? 

(c) How would these modifications affect 

the costs and benefits of the Rules for 

businesses? 

(9) What significant costs, including costs 

of compliance, have the Rules imposed on 

businesses, particularly small businesses? 

What evidence supports the asserted costs? 

(10) What modifications, if any, should be 

made to the Rules to reduce the costs 

imposed on businesses, and particularly on 

small businesses? 

(a) What evidence supports your proposed 

modifications? 

(b) How would these modifications affect 

the costs and benefits of the Rules for 

consumers? 

(c) How would these modifications affect 

the costs and benefits of the Rules for 

businesses? 

(11) Provide any evidence concerning 

consumer perception of the fur names 

required by the Name Guide. Does this 

evidence indicate that the Rules should be 

modified? If so, why, and how? If not, why 

not? 

(12) Provide any evidence concerning 

whether the Commission should alter the 

Name Guide to include additional fur names 

or to eliminate certain names already listed. 

Does this evidence indicate that the Rules 

should be modified? If so, why, and how? If 

not, why not? 

(13) What evidence is available concerning 

the degree of industry compliance with the 

Rules? Does this evidence indicate that the 

Rules should be modified? If so, why, and 

how? If not, why not? 

(14) Are any of the Rules’ requirements no 

longer needed? If so, explain. Please provide 

supporting evidence. 

(15) What potentially unfair or deceptive 

practices concerning the labeling and 

advertising of fur products, if any, are not 

covered by the Rules? 

(a) What evidence demonstrates the 

existence of such practices? 

(b) With reference to such practices, should 

the Rules be modified? If so, why, and how? 

If not, why not? 

(16) Should the Rules continue to require 

that fur products manufactured for use in 

pairs or groups be firmly attached to each 

other when delivered to the purchaserconsumer or be individually labeled? Why or 

why not? Please provide any supporting 

evidence. 

(17) What modifications, if any, should be 

made to the Rules to account for changes in 

relevant technology or economic conditions? 

(a) What evidence supports the proposed 

modifications? 

(b) How would these modifications affect 

the costs and benefits of the Rules for 

consumers and businesses, particularly small 

businesses? 

(18) Do the Rules overlap or conflict with 

other Federal, State, or local laws or 

regulations? If so, how? 

(a) What evidence supports the asserted 

conflicts? 

(b) With reference to the asserted conflicts, 

should the Rules be modified? If so, why, and 

how? If not, why not? 

(19) Are there foreign or international laws, 

regulations, or standards with respect to the 

fur labeling that the Commission should 

consider as it reviews the Rules? If so, what 

are they? 

(a) Should the Rules be modified in order 

to harmonize with these foreign or 

international laws, regulations, or standards? 

If so, why, and how? If not, why not? 

(b) How would such harmonization affect 

the costs and benefits of the Rules for 

consumers and businesses, particularly small 

businesses? 

Interested parties are invited to 

submit written comments electronically 

or in paper form. Comments should 

refer to ‘‘Fur Rules Review, Matter No. 

P074201’’ to facilitate the organization of 

comments. We must receive your 

comment by May 16, 2011. Please note 

that your comment—including your 

name and your State—will be placed on 

the public record of this proceeding, 

including on the publicly accessible 

FTC Web site, at http://www.ftc.gov/os/ 

publiccomments.shtm. 

Because comments will be made 

public, they should not include any 

sensitive personal information, such as 

any individual’s Social Security 

Number; date of birth; driver’s license 

number or other State identification 

number, or foreign country equivalent; 

passport number; financial account 

number; or credit or debit card number. 

Comments also should not include any 

sensitive health information, such as 

medical records or other individually 

identifiable health information. In 

addition, comments should not include 

‘‘trade secret or any commercial or 

financial information which is obtained 

from any person and which is privileged 

or confidential’’ as provided in Section 

6(f) of the Federal Trade Commission 

Act (AFTC Act), 15 U.S.C. 46(f), and 

FTC Rule 4.10(a)(2), 16 CFR 4.10(a)(2). 

Comments containing matter for which 

confidential treatment is requested must 

be filed in paper form, must be clearly 

labeled AConfidential, and must comply 

with FTC Rule 4.9(c).1

Because paper mail addressed to the 

FTC is subject to delay due to 

heightened security screening, please 

consider submitting your comments in 

electronic form. Comments filed in 

electronic form should be submitted 

using the following Web link: https://

ftcpublic.commentworks.com/ftc/ 

furrulesreview (and following the 

instructions on the Web-based form). To 

ensure that the Commission considers 

an electronic comment, you must file it 

on the Web-based form at the Web link 

https://ftcpublic.commentworks.com/ 

ftc/furrulesreview. If this notice of 

proposed rulemaking appears at http://

www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/ 

home.html#home, you may also file an 

electronic comment through that Web 

site. The Commission will consider all 

comments that regulations.gov forwards 

to it. You may also visit the FTC Web 

site at http://www.ftc.gov to read the 

notice of proposed rulemaking and the 

news release describing it. 

A comment filed in paper form 

should include the ‘‘Fur Rules Review, 

Matter No. P074201’’ reference both in 

the text and on the envelope, and 

should be mailed or delivered to the 

following address: Federal Trade 

Commission, Office of the Secretary, 

Room H–113 (Annex O), 600 

Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 

Washington, DC 20580. The FTC is 

requesting that any comment filed in 

paper form be sent by courier or 

overnight service, if possible, because 


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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 49 / Monday, March 14, 2011 / Proposed Rules 13553 

U.S. postal mail in the Washington area 

and at the Commission is subject to 

delay due to heightened security 

precautions. 

The FTC Act and other laws that the 

Commission administers permit the 

collection of public comments to 

consider and use in this proceeding as 

appropriate. The Commission will 

consider all timely and responsive 

public comments that it receives, 

whether filed in paper or electronic 

form. Comments received will be 

available to the public on the FTC Web 

site, to the extent practicable, at http://

www.ftc.gov/os/publiccomments.shtm. 

As a matter of discretion, the FTC makes 

every effort to remove home contact 

information for individuals from the 

public comments it receives before 

placing those comments on the FTC 

Web site. More information, including 

routine uses permitted by the Privacy 

Act, may be found in the FTC’s privacy 

policy, at http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/ 

privacy.htm. 

By direction of the Commission. 

Donald S. Clark, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2011–5757 Filed 3–11–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6750–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 

31 CFR Part 33 

RIN 1505–AC30 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

45 CFR Part 155 

[CMS–9987–P] 

RIN 0938–AQ75 

Application, Review, and Reporting 

Process for Waivers for State 

Innovation 

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS; 

Department of the Treasury. 

ACTION: Proposed rule. 

SUMMARY: This proposed rule sets forth 

a procedural framework for submission 

and review of initial applications for a 

Waiver for State Innovation described in 

section 1332 of the Patient Protection 

and the Affordable Care Act including 

processes to ensure opportunities for 

public input in the development of such 

applications by States and in the 

Federal review of the applications. 

DATES: Comments are due on or before 

May 13, 2011. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be 

submitted to any of the addresses 

specified below. Any comment that is 

submitted to one Department will be 

shared with the other Department. 

Please do not submit duplicates. 

Department of the Treasury. 

Interested members of the public are 

invited to submit comments on this 

proposed rule. Comments may be 

submitted to Treasury by either of the 

following methods: Submit electronic 

comments through the Federal 

government e-rulemaking portal, http:// 

www.regulations.gov, or send comments 

in hard copy to: Office of Benefits Tax 

Counsel, Attention: Waivers for State 

Innovation, Room 3050, Department of 

the Treasury, 1500 Pennsylvania 

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20220. 

In general, Treasury will post all 

comments to http://www.regulations.gov 

without change, including any business 

or personal information provided such 

as names, addresses, e-mail addresses, 

or telephone numbers. Treasury will 

also make such comments available for 

public inspection and copying in 

Treasury’s Library, Room 1428, 1500 

Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 

Washington, DC 20220, on official 

business days between the hours of 10 

a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Time. Members 

of the public can make an appointment 

to inspect comments by telephoning 

(202) 622–0990. All comments received, 

including attachments and other 

supporting materials, are part of the 

public record and subject to public 

disclosure. You should only submit 

information that you wish to make 

available publicly. 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services. In commenting, please refer to 

file code CMS–9987–P. Because of staff 

and resource limitations, we cannot 

accept comments by facsimile (FAX) 

transmission. 

You may submit comments in one of 

four ways (please choose only one of the 

ways listed): 

1. Electronically. You may submit 

electronic comments on this regulation 

to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow 

the ‘‘Submit a comment’’ instructions. 

2. By regular mail. You may mail 

written comments to the following 

address ONLY: 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services, Department of Health and 

Human Services, Attention: CMS–9987– 

P, P.O. Box 8016, Baltimore, MD 21244– 

8016. 

Please allow sufficient time for mailed 

comments to be received before the 

close of the comment period. 

3. By express or overnight mail. You 

may send written comments to the 

following address ONLY: 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services, Department of Health and 

Human Services, Attention: CMS–9987– 

P, Mail Stop C4–26–05, 7500 Security 

Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244–1850. 

4. By hand or courier. If you prefer, 

you may deliver (by hand or courier) 

your written comments before the close 

of the comment period to either of the 

following addresses: 

a. For delivery in Washington, DC— 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services, Department of Health and 

Human Services, Room 445–G, Hubert 

H. Humphrey Building, 200 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20201. 

(Because access to the interior of the 

Hubert H. Humphrey Building is not 

readily available to persons without 

Federal government identification, 

commenters are encouraged to leave 

their comments in the CMS drop slots 

located in the main lobby of the 

building. A stamp-in clock is available 

for persons wishing to retain a proof of 

filing by stamping in and retaining an 

extra copy of the comments being filed.) 

b. For delivery in Baltimore, MD— 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services, Department of Health and 

Human Services, 7500 Security 

Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244–1850. 

If you intend to deliver your 

comments to the Baltimore address, 

please call telephone number (410) 786– 

7195 in advance to schedule your 

arrival with one of our staff members. 

Comments mailed to the addresses 

indicated as appropriate for hand or 

courier delivery may be delayed and 

received after the comment period. 

Submission of comments on 

paperwork requirements. You may 

submit comments on this document’s 

paperwork requirements by following 

the instructions at the end of the 

‘‘Collection of Information 

Requirements’’ section in this document. 

Inspection of Public Comments: All 

comments received before the close of 

the comment period are available for 

viewing by the public, including any 

personally identifiable or confidential 

business information that is included in 

a comment. We post all comments 

received before the close of the 

comment period on the following Web 

site as soon as possible after they have 

been received: http://regulations.gov. 

Follow the search instructions on that 

Web site to view public comments. 

Comments received timely will be 

also available for public inspection as 

they are received, generally beginning 

approximately 3 weeks after publication 

of a document, at the headquarters of 

the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, 


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