Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 35 / Tuesday, February 23, 2010 / Proposed Rules 7987 

The Council is composed of 14 

members as follows: 10 producers (one 

from each of four regions and one from 

each of the top six producing States); 1 

importer; 1 exporter from a foreign 

production area; 1 handler; and 1 public 

member. Each member has an alternate. 

The members and alternates are 

appointed to the Council by the 

Secretary of Agriculture and serve a 

term of 3 years. 

The Avocado Order became effective 

on September 9, 2002. The Order is 

administered by the Hass Avocado 

Board (Board) with oversight by USDA. 

The program is funded by assessments 

on fresh domestic and imported Hass 

avocados. Producers and importers pay 

the assessment. The producer 

assessment is remitted by first handlers, 

and the importer assessment is remitted 

by Customs. Exports of domestic Hass 

avocados are exempt from assessments. 

The purpose of the program is to 

increase consumption of Hass avocados 

in the United States. 

Under the Order, a state association of 

avocado producers receives 85 percent 

of the assessments paid by domestic 

producers, and certified importer 

associations receive 85 percent of the 

assessments paid by their members. The 

State and importer associations use 

these funds to conduct State-of-origin 

and country-of-origin promotions, 

respectively. 

The Board is composed of 12 

members, 7 who are producers and 5 

who are importers. Each member has an 

alternate. The members and alternates 

are appointed to the Board by the 

Secretary of Agriculture and serve a 

term of 3 years. 

AMS published in the Federal 

Register on March 24, 2006 (71 FR 

14827), its plan to review certain 

regulations, including the Blueberry and 

Avocado Orders under criteria 

contained in section 610 of the RFA (5 

U.S.C. 601–612). Because many AMS 

regulations impact small entities, AMS 

decided, as a matter of policy, to review 

certain regulations which, although they 

may not meet the threshold requirement 

under section 610 of the RFA, warrant 

review. According to the schedule 

published in 2006, this notice and 

request for comments is made for the 

Blueberry and Avocado Orders. 

The purpose of the review is to 

determine whether the Orders should be 

continued without change, amended, or 

rescinded (consistent with the 

objectives of the 1996 Act and Avocado 

Act, respectively) to minimize the 

impacts on small entities. AMS will 

consider the following factors: (1) The 

continued need for the Orders; (2) the 

nature of complaints or comments 

received from the public concerning the 

Orders; (3) the complexity of the Orders; 

(4) the extent to which the Orders 

overlap, duplicate, or conflict with other 

Federal rules, and, to the extent feasible, 

with State and local regulations; and (5) 

the length of time since the Orders have 

been evaluated or the degree to which 

technology, economic conditions, or 

other factors have changed in the area 

affected by the Orders. 

Written comments, views, opinions, 

and other information regarding the 

Order’s impact on small businesses are 

invited. 

Dated: February 17, 2010. 

David R. Shipman, 

Acting Administrator, Agricultural Marketing 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–3446 Filed 2–22–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

10 CFR Part 430 

[Docket No. EERE–2007–BT–STD–0010] 

RIN 1904–AA89 

Energy Conservation Standards for 

Residential Clothes Dryers and Room 

Air Conditioners: Public Meeting and 

Availability of the Preliminary 

Technical Support Document 

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy, Department of 

Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and 

availability of preliminary technical 

support document. 

SUMMARY: The U. S. Department of 

Energy (DOE) will hold a public meeting 

to discuss and receive comments on the 

product classes that DOE plans to 

analyze for purposes of amending 

energy conservation standards for 

residential clothes dryers and room air 

conditioners; the analytical framework, 

models, and tools that DOE is using to 

evaluate standards for these products; 

the results of preliminary analyses 

performed by DOE for these products; 

and potential energy conservation 

standard levels derived from these 

analyses that DOE could consider for 

these products. DOE also encourages 

written comments on these subjects. To 

inform stakeholders and facilitate this 

process, DOE has prepared an agenda, a 

preliminary Technical Support 

Document (TSD), and briefing materials, 

which are available at: 

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/

buildings/appliance_standards/

residential/clothes_dryers.html and 

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/

appliance_standards/residential/

room_ac.html. 

DATES: The Department will hold a 

public meeting on Tuesday, March 16, 

2010, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in 

Washington, DC. Any person requesting 

to speak at the public meeting should 

submit such request, along with an 

electronic copy of the statement to be 

given at the public meeting, before 4 

p.m., Tuesday, March 2, 2010. Written 

comments are welcome, especially 

following the public meeting, and 

should be submitted by April 26, 2010. 

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be 

held at the U.S. Department of Energy, 

Forrestal Building, Room 8E–098, 1000 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20585–0121. Please 

note that foreign nationals participating 

in the public meeting are subject to 

advance security screening procedures. 

If a foreign national wishes to 

participate in the public meeting, please 

inform DOE of this fact as soon as 

possible by contacting Ms. Brenda 

Edwards at (202) 586–2945 so that the 

necessary procedures can be completed. 

Interested persons may submit 

comments, identified by docket number 

EERE–2007–BT–STD–0010, by any of 

the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• E-mail: home_

appliance2.rulemaking@ee.doe.gov. 

Include EERE–2007–BT–STD–0010 and/ 

or RIN 1904–AA89 in the subject line of 

the message. 

• Mail: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. 

Department of Energy, Building 

Technologies Program, Mailstop EE–2J, 

Public Meeting for Residential Clothes 

Dryers and Room Air Conditioners, 

EERE–2007–BT–STD–0010 and/or RIN 

1904–AA89, 1000 Independence 

Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585– 

0121. Phone: (202) 586–2945. Please 

submit one signed paper original. 

• Hand Delivery/Courier: Ms. Brenda 

Edwards, U.S. Department of Energy, 

Building Technologies Program, 6th 

Floor, 950 L’Enfant Plaza, SW., 

Washington, DC 20024. Phone: (202) 

586–2945. Please submit one signed 

paper original. 

Instructions: All submissions received 

must include the agency name and 

docket number or RIN for this 

rulemaking. 

Docket: For access to the docket to 

read background documents, a copy of 

the transcript of the public meeting, or 

comments received, go to the U.S. 

Department of Energy, 6th Floor, 950 

L’Enfant Plaza, SW., Washington, DC 

20024, (202) 586–2945, between 9 a.m. 

mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with PROPOSALS

7988 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 35 / Tuesday, February 23, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

except Federal holidays. Please call Ms. 

Brenda Edwards at (202) 586–2945 for 

additional information regarding 

visiting the Resource Room. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Stephen Witkowski, U.S. Department of 

Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy, Building 

Technologies, EE–2J, 1000 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20585–0121. Phone: 

(202) 586–7463. e-mail: 

stephen.witkowski@ee.doe.gov. 

Francine Pinto or Betsy Kohl, U.S. 

Department of Energy, Office of General 

Counsel, GC–71, 1000 Independence 

Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585– 

0121. Phone: (202) 586–7432. e-mail: 

Francine.pinto@hq.doe.gov or 

Elizabeth.Kohl@hq.doe.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Table of Contents 

I. Statutory Authority 

II. History of Standards Rulemaking for 

Residential Clothes Dryers and Room Air 

Conditioners 

A. Background 

B. Current Rulemaking Process 

i. Residential Clothes Dryers 

ii. Room Air Conditioners 

iii. Consent Decree 

III. Summary of the Analyses Performed by 

DOE 

A. Engineering Analysis 

B. Markups To Determine Product Prices 

C. Energy Use Characterization 

D. Life-Cycle Cost and Payback Period 

Analyses 

E. National Impact Analysis 

I. Statutory Authority 

Part A of Title III of the Energy Policy 

and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), 

42 U.S.C. 6291 et seq., established an 

energy conservation program for major 

household appliances, which includes 

residential clothes dryers and room air 

conditioners. This program authorizes 

the Department to establish 

technologically feasible, economically 

justified energy efficiency standards for 

certain consumer products that would 

result in substantial national energy 

savings, and for which both natural 

market forces and voluntary labeling 

programs have been and/or are expected 

to be ineffective in promoting energy 

efficiency. 

DOE must design each new or 

amended standard for these products to 

(1) achieve the maximum improvement 

in energy efficiency that is 

technologically feasible and 

economically justified, and (2) result in 

significant conservation of energy. (42 

U.S.C. 6295(o)(2)(A)) To determine 

whether a proposed standard is 

economically justified, DOE must, after 

receiving comments on the proposed 

standard, determine whether the 

benefits of the standard exceed its 

burdens to the greatest extent 

practicable, weighing the following 

seven factors: 

1. The economic impact of the 

standard on manufacturers and 

consumers of products subject to the 

standard; 

2. The savings in operating costs 

throughout the estimated average life of 

the covered products in the type (or 

class) compared to any increase in the 

price, initial charges, or maintenance 

expenses for the covered products 

which are likely to result from the 

imposition of the standard; 

3. The total projected amount of 

energy savings likely to result directly 

from the imposition of the standard; 

4. Any lessening of the utility or the 

performance of the covered products 

likely to result from the imposition of 

the standard; 

5. The impact of any lessening of 

competition, as determined in writing 

by the Attorney General, that is likely to 

result from the imposition of the 

standard; 

6. The need for national energy 

conservation; and 

7. Other factors the Secretary 

considers relevant. 

(42 U.S.C. 6295(o)(2)(B)(i).) 

Prior to proposing a standard, DOE 

typically seeks public input on the 

analytical framework, models, and tools 

that DOE will use to evaluate standards 

for the product at issue; the results of 

preliminary analyses performed by DOE 

for the product; and potential energy 

conservation standard levels derived 

from these analyses that DOE could 

consider. 

II. History of Standards Rulemaking for 

Residential Clothes Dryers and Room 

Air Conditioners 

A. Background 

The amendments to EPCA in the 

National Appliance Energy 

Conservation Act of 1987 (NAECA), 

Public Law 100–12, established 

prescriptive energy conservation 

standards for residential clothes dryers 

and performance energy conservation 

standards for room air conditioners, as 

well as requirements for determining 

whether these standards should be 

amended. (42 U.S.C. 6295(c) and (g).) 

i. Residential Clothes Dryers 

EPCA, as amended by NAECA, 

requires gas clothes dryers not to be 

equipped with constant burning pilots 

and requires that DOE conduct two 

cycles of rulemakings to determine if 

more stringent standards are justified. 

(42 U.S.C. 6295 (g)(3) and (4)) DOE 

defines ‘‘electric clothes dryer’’ under 

EPCA as ‘‘a cabinet-like appliance 

designed to dry fabrics in a tumble-type 

drum with forced air circulation. The 

heat source is electricity and the drum 

and blower(s) are driven by an electric 

motor(s).’’ (Title 10 of the Code of 

Federal Regulations (CFR) 430.2) Gas 

clothes dryers have a similar definition, 

except the heat source is gas. On May 

14, 1991, DOE published a final rule in 

the Federal Register (FR) establishing 

the first set of performance standards for 

residential clothes dryers; the new 

standards became effective on May 14, 

1994. 56 FR 22250. DOE initiated a 

second standards rulemaking for 

residential clothes dryers by publishing 

an advance notice of proposed 

rulemaking (ANOPR) in the Federal 

Register on November 14, 1994. 59 FR 

56423. Pursuant to the priority-setting 

process outlined in the July 15, 1996, 

Procedures, Interpretations and Policies 

for Consideration of New or Revised 

Energy Conservation Standards for 

Consumer Products (61 FR 36974 (July 

15, 1996) (establishing 10 CFR part 430, 

subpart C, appendix A); the ‘‘Process 

Rule’’), however, DOE classified the 

standards rulemaking for residential 

clothes dryers as a low priority for its 

fiscal year 1998 priority-setting process. 

As a result, DOE suspended the 

standards rulemaking activities for 

them. 

ii. Room Air Conditioners 

NAECA established performance 

standards for room air conditioners that 

became effective on January 1, 1990, 

and directed DOE to conduct two cycles 

of rulemakings to determine if more 

stringent standards are justified. (42 

U.S.C. 6295 (c)(1) and (2)) DOE defines 

‘‘room air conditioner’’ under EPCA as a 

‘‘consumer product, other than a 

‘packaged terminal air conditioner,’ 

which is powered by a single phase 

electric current and which is an encased 

assembly designed as a unit for 

mounting in a window or through the 

wall for the purpose of providing 

delivery of conditioned air to an 

enclosed space. It includes a prime 

source of refrigeration and may include 

a means for ventilating and heating.’’ (10 

CFR 430.2) On March 4, 1994, DOE 

published in the Federal Register a 

notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) 

for several products, including room air 

conditioners. 59 FR 10464. As a result 

of the Process Rule, DOE suspended 

activities to finalize standards for room 

air conditioners. DOE subsequently 

resumed rulemaking activities related to 

room air conditioners, and, on 

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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 35 / Tuesday, February 23, 2010 / Proposed Rules 7989 

September 24, 1997, DOE published a 

final rule establishing an updated set of 

performance standards, with an 

effective date of October 1, 2000. 62 FR 

50122. 

iii. Consent Decree 

Under the consolidated Consent 

Decree in New York v. Bodman, No. 05 

Civ. 7807 (S.D.N.Y. filed Sept. 7, 2005) 

and Natural Resources Defense Council 

v. Bodman, No. 05 Civ. 7808 (S.D.N.Y. 

filed Sept. 7, 2005) DOE is required to 

publish a final rule amending energy 

conservation standards for residential 

clothes dryers and room air conditioners 

no later than June 30, 2011. 

B. Current Rulemaking Process 

To initiate the current rulemaking to 

consider energy conservation standards, 

the Department published on its Web 

site the Energy Conservation Standards 

Rulemaking Framework Document for 

Residential Clothes Dryers and Room 

Air Conditioners (the framework 

document) to explain the issues, 

analyses, and process that it anticipated 

using for the development of energy 

efficiency standards for these products. 

This document is available at http:// 

www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ 

appliance_standards/residential/pdfs/ 

dryer_roomac_framework.pdf. DOE also 

published a notice announcing the 

availability of the framework document 

and a public meeting to discuss the 

proposed analytical framework, and 

inviting written comments concerning 

the development of standards for 

residential clothes dryers and room air 

conditioners. 72 FR 57254 (October 9, 

2007). 

The focus of the public meeting, 

which was held on October 24, 2007, 

was to discuss the analyses and issues 

identified in various sections of the 

framework document. At the meeting, 

DOE described the different analyses it 

would conduct, the methods proposed 

for conducting them, and the 

relationships among the various 

analyses. Manufacturers, trade 

associations, environmental advocates, 

regulators, and other interested parties 

attended the meeting. Comments 

received since publication of the 

framework document have helped 

identify issues DOE needs to address in 

developing a proposed standard and 

provided information contributing to 

DOE’s proposed resolution of these 

issues. 

III. Summary of the Analyses 

Performed by DOE 

For each of the residential clothes 

dryer and room air conditioner products 

currently under consideration, DOE 

conducted in-depth technical analyses 

in the following areas: (1) Engineering, 

(2) markups to determine product price, 

(3) energy-use characterization, (4) lifecycle cost (LCC) and payback period 

(PBP) analyses, and (5) national impact 

analysis (NIA). These analyses resulted 

in a preliminary TSD that presents the 

methodology and results of each of 

these analyses. The preliminary TSD is 

available at the Web address given in 

the SUMMARY section of this notice. The 

analyses are described in more detail 

below. 

DOE also conducted several other 

analyses that either support the five 

major analyses or are preliminary 

analyses that will be expanded upon for 

the NOPR. These analyses include the 

market and technology assessment, the 

screening analysis, which contributes to 

the engineering analysis, and the 

shipments analysis, which contributes 

to the NIA. In addition to these 

analyses, DOE has completed 

preliminary work on the manufacturer 

impact analysis (MIA) and identified the 

methods to be used for the LCC 

subgroup analysis, the environmental 

assessment, the employment analysis, 

the regulatory impact analysis, and the 

utility impact analysis. DOE will 

expand on these analyses in the NOPR. 

A. Engineering Analysis 

The engineering analysis establishes 

the relationship between the cost and 

efficiency of a product DOE is 

evaluating for amended energy 

conservation standards. This 

relationship serves as the basis for costbenefit calculations for individual 

consumers, manufacturers, and the 

nation. The engineering analysis 

identifies representative baseline 

products, which is the starting point for 

analyzing technologies that provide 

energy efficiency improvements. 

Baseline product refers to a model or 

models having features and technologies 

typically found in products currently 

offered for sale. The baseline model in 

each product class represents the 

characteristics of products in that class 

and, for products already subject to 

energy conservation standards, usually 

is a model that just meets the current 

standard. Chapter 5 of the preliminary 

TSD discusses the engineering analysis. 

B. Markups To Determine Product 

Prices 

DOE derives consumer prices for 

products based on manufacturer costs, 

manufacturer markups, retailer 

markups, distributor markups, 

contractor markups, builder markups, 

and sales taxes. In deriving these 

markups, DOE has determined (1) The 

distribution channels for product sales; 

(2) the markup associated with each 

party in the distribution channels; and 

(3) the existence and magnitude of 

differences between markups for 

baseline products (baseline markups) 

and for more efficient products 

(incremental markups). DOE calculates 

both overall baseline and overall 

incremental markups based on the 

product markups at each step in the 

distribution channel. The overall 

incremental markup relates the change 

in the manufacturer sales price of higher 

efficiency models (the incremental cost 

increase) to the change in the retailer or 

distributor sales price. Chapter 6 of the 

preliminary TSD discusses the 

estimation of markups. 

C. Energy Use Characterization 

The energy use characterization 

provides estimates of annual energy 

consumption for the residential clothes 

dryers and room air conditioners, which 

DOE uses in the LCC and PBP analyses 

and the NIA. DOE developed energy 

consumption estimates for all of the 

product classes analyzed in the 

engineering analysis, as the basis for its 

energy use estimates. Chapter 7 of the 

preliminary TSD discusses the energy 

use characterization. 

D. Life-Cycle Cost and Payback Period 

Analyses 

The LCC and PBP analyses determine 

the economic impact of potential 

standards on individual consumers. The 

LCC is the total consumer expense for 

a product over the life of the product. 

The LCC analysis compares the LCCs of 

products designed to meet possible 

energy conservation standards with the 

LCCs of the products likely to be 

installed in the absence of standards. 

DOE determines LCCs by considering 

(1) Total installed cost to the purchaser 

(which consists of manufacturer selling 

price, sales taxes, distribution chain 

markups, and installation cost); (2) the 

operating expenses of the products 

(energy use and maintenance); (3) 

product lifetime; and (4) a discount rate 

that reflects the real consumer cost of 

capital and puts the LCC in presentvalue terms. The PBP represents the 

number of years needed to recover the 

increase in purchase price (including 

installation cost) of more efficient 

products through savings in the 

operating cost of the product. It is the 

change in total installed cost due to 

increased efficiency divided by the 

change in annual operating cost from 

increased efficiency. Chapter 8 of the 

preliminary TSD discusses the LCC and 

PBP analyses. 

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7990 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 35 / Tuesday, February 23, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

E. National Impact Analysis 

The NIA estimates the national energy 

savings (NES) and the net present value 

(NPV) of total consumer costs and 

savings expected to result from new 

standards at specific efficiency levels. 

DOE calculated NES and NPV for each 

efficiency level as the difference 

between a base-case forecast (without 

new standards) and the standards case 

forecast (with standards). DOE 

determined national annual energy 

consumption by multiplying the 

number of units in use (by vintage) by 

the average unit energy consumption 

(also by vintage). Cumulative energy 

savings are the sum of the annual NES 

determined over a specified time period. 

The national NPV is the sum over time 

of the discounted net savings each year, 

which consists of the difference 

between total operating cost savings and 

increases in total installed costs. Critical 

inputs to this analysis include 

shipments projections, retirement rates 

(based on estimated product lifetimes), 

and estimates of changes in shipments 

and retirement rates in response to 

changes in product costs due to 

standards. Chapter 10 of the preliminary 

TSD discusses the NIA. 

DOE consulted with interested parties 

as part of its process for conducting all 

of the analyses and invites further input 

from the public on these topics. The 

preliminary analytical results are 

subject to revision following review and 

input from the public. The final rule 

will contain the final analysis results. 

The Department encourages those 

who wish to participate in the public 

meeting to obtain the preliminary TSD 

and to be prepared to discuss its 

contents. A copy of the preliminary TSD 

is available at the Web address given in 

the SUMMARY section of this notice. 

However, public meeting participants 

need not limit their comments to the 

topics identified in the preliminary 

TSD. The Department is also interested 

in receiving views concerning other 

relevant issues that participants believe 

would affect energy conservation 

standards for these products or that DOE 

should address in the NOPR. 

Furthermore, the Department 

welcomes all interested parties, 

regardless of whether they participate in 

the public meeting, to submit in writing 

by April 26, 2010, comments and 

information on matters addressed in the 

preliminary TSD and on other matters 

relevant to consideration of standards 

for residential clothes dryers and room 

air conditioners. 

The public meeting will be conducted 

in an informal, conference style. A court 

reporter will be present to record the 

minutes of the meeting. There shall be 

no discussion of proprietary 

information, costs or prices, market 

shares, or other commercial matters 

regulated by United States antitrust 

laws. 

After the public meeting and the 

expiration of the period for submitting 

written statements, the Department will 

consider all comments and additional 

information that is obtained from 

interested parties or through further 

analyses, and it will prepare a NOPR. 

The NOPR will include proposed energy 

conservation standards for the products 

covered by this rulemaking, and 

members of the public will be given an 

opportunity to submit written and oral 

comments on the proposed standards. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on February 12, 

2010. 

Cathy Zoi, 

Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy. 

[FR Doc. 2010–3479 Filed 2–22–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE BOARD 

12 CFR Parts 950 and 980 

FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE 

AGENCY 

12 CFR Parts 1266 and 1272 

RIN 2590–AA24 

Use of Community Development Loans 

by Community Financial Institutions 

To Secure Advances; Secured Lending 

by Federal Home Loan Banks to 

Members and Their Affiliates; Transfer 

of Advances and New Business 

Activity Regulations 

AGENCY: Federal Housing Finance 

Agency; Federal Housing Finance 

Board. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; 

request for comments. 

SUMMARY: Section 1211 of the Housing 

and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 

(HERA) amended the Federal Home 

Loan Bank Act (Bank Act) to expand the 

types of eligible collateral that 

community financial institution (CFI) 

members may pledge to secure Federal 

Home Loan Bank (Bank) advances to 

include secured loans for community 

development activities and to allow 

Banks to make long-term advances to 

CFI members for purposes of financing 

community development activities. 

Section 1211 further provides that the 

Federal Housing Finance Agency 

(FHFA) shall define the term 

‘‘community development activities’’ by 

regulation. Consequently, FHFA is 

proposing to amend the advances 

regulations to allow CFI members to 

pledge secured loans for community 

development activities as eligible 

collateral for advances, to provide that 

CFI members may use long term 

advances to fund community 

development activities and to define 

‘‘community development,’’ ‘‘community 

development loan,’’ and other related 

terms necessary to implement these 

provisions. The proposal would also 

transfer the advances and new business 

activities regulations from the Federal 

Housing Finance Board (FHFB) 

regulations to the FHFA regulations, 

and make other conforming 

amendments. Finally, the proposed rule 

would also make a change to the 

advances regulation which would 

incorporate a long-standing policy 

previously established by the FHFB that 

any form of secured lending by a Bank 

to a member of the Federal Home Loan 

Bank System (Bank System) is deemed 

to be an advance. The proposed rule 

would extend that policy to cover 

secured lending transactions by a Bank 

to affiliates of members. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

received on or before April 26, 2010. For 

additional information, see 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit your 

comments, identified by regulatory 

information number (RIN) 2590–AA24, 

by one of the following methods: 

• U.S. Mail, United Postal Service, 

Federal Express, or Other Mail Service: 

The mailing address for comments is: 

Alfred M. Pollard, General Counsel, 

Attention: Comments/RIN 2590–AA24, 

Federal Housing Finance Agency, 

Fourth Floor, 1700 G Street, NW., 

Washington, DC 20552. 

• Hand Delivered/Courier: The hand 

delivery address is: Alfred M. Pollard, 

General Counsel, Attention: Comments/ 

RIN 2590–AA24, Federal Housing 

Finance Agency, Fourth Floor, 1700 G 

Street, NW., Washington, DC 20552. The 

package should be logged at the Guard 

Desk, First Floor, on business days 

between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. 

• E-mail: Comments to Alfred M. 

Pollard, General Counsel may be sent by 

e-mail to RegComments@fhfa.gov. 

Please include ‘‘RIN 2590–AA24’’ in the 

subject line of the message. 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. If 

you submit your comment to the 

Federal eRulemaking Portal, please also 

send it by e-mail to FHFA at 

RegComments@fhfa.gov to ensure 

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