68110 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 225 / Tuesday, November 23, 2004 / Proposed Rules 

157.32 Applicability. 

157.33 Requirement for open season. 

157.34 Notice of open season. 

157.35 Capacity allocation. 

157.36 Open season for expansion.

Subpart B—Open seasons for Alaska 

Natural Gas Transportation Projects

§ 157.30 Purpose. 

This subpart establishes the 

procedures for conducting open seasons 

for Alaska natural gas transportation 

projects, as defined herein.

§ 157.31 Definitions. 

(a) ‘‘Alaska natural gas transportation 

project’’ means any natural gas pipeline 

system that carries Alaska natural gas to 

the border between Alaska and Canada 

(including related facilities subject to 

the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission). 

(b) ‘‘Commission’’ means the Federal 

Energy Regulatory Commission.

§ 157.32 Applicability. 

These regulations shall apply to any 

application to the Commission for a 

certificate of public convenience and 

necessity or other authorization for an 

Alaska natural gas transportation 

project, whether filed pursuant to the 

Natural Gas Act, the Alaska Natural Gas 

Transportation Act of 1976, or the 

Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Act, and to 

applications for expansion of such 

projects. Absent a Commission order to 

the contrary, these regulations are not 

applicable in the case of an expansion 

ordered by the Commission pursuant to 

section 105 of the Alaska Natural Gas 

Pipeline Act.

§ 157.33 Requirement for open season. 

Any application for a certificate of 

public convenience and necessity for a 

proposed Alaska natural gas 

transportation project must include a 

demonstration that the applicant has 

conducted an open season for capacity 

on its proposed project, in accordance 

with the requirements of this sub-part. 

Failure to provide the requisite 

demonstration will result in an 

application being dismissed as 

deficient.

§ 157.34 Notice of open season. 

(a) Notice. A prospective applicant 

must provide reasonable public notice 

of an open season, at least 30 days prior 

to the commencement of the open 

season, through methods including 

postings on Internet websites, press 

releases, direct mail solicitations, and 

other advertising. In addition, a 

prospective applicant must provide 

actual notice of an open season to the 

State of Alaska and to the Federal 

Coordinator for Alaska Natural Gas 

Transportation Projects. 

(b) Contents of Notice. Notice of the 

open season shall contain at least the 

following information, to the extent that 

such information is known or 

determined at the time the notice is 

issued: 

(1) The general route of the proposed 

project, including receipt and delivery 

points, and any alternative routes under 

consideration; 

(2) Size and design capacity 

(including proposed certificate capacity 

to the extent that it differs from design 

capacity), and any estimated phase-in 

dates for capacity beyond initial 

capacity; 

(3) Maximum allowable operating 

pressure and expected actual operating 

pressure; 

(4) Delivery pressure; 

(5) Projected in-service date; 

(6) An estimated unbundled 

transportation rate, stated on an MMBtu 

basis, for each service offered, including 

reservation rates for pipeline capacity, 

interruptible transportation rates, usage 

rates, fuel retention percentages, and 

other applicable charges, or surcharges, 

such as annual charge adjustment 

(ACA); 

(7) The estimated costs of proposed 

facilities and cost of service, and 

expected return on equity used to justify 

the transportation rates; 

(8) Negotiated rate and other rate 

options under consideration; 

(9) Quality specifications and any 

other requirements applicable to gas to 

be delivered to the project; 

(10) Terms and conditions for each 

service offered; 

(11) Creditworthiness standards to be 

applied to prospective shippers; 

(12) The date, if any, by which 

potential shippers and the prospective 

applicant must execute precedent 

agreements; 

(13) A detailed methodology for 

determining the value of bids; 

(14) The methodology by which 

capacity will be awarded, in the case of 

over-subscription, clearly stating all 

terms that will be considered, including 

price and contract term; 

(15) Required bid information, 

whether bids are binding or nonbinding, receipt and delivery point 

requirements, the form of a precedent 

agreement and time of execution, 

definition and treatment of nonconforming bids; 

(16) The projected date for filing an 

application with the Commission; and 

(17) All other information that may be 

relevant to the open season, including 

information pertaining to the proposed 

service to be offered, projected pipeline 

capacity and design, proposed tariff 

provision, and cost projections, made 

available to or in the hands of any 

potential shipper, including any 

affiliates of the project sponsor and any 

shippers with pre-subscribed capacity, 

prior to the issuance of the public notice 

of open season. 

(c) Timing. A prospective applicant 

must provide prospective shippers at 

least 90 days from the date on which 

notice of the open season is given 

within which to submit requests for 

transportation services.

§ 157.35 Capacity allocation. 

Capacity allocated as a result of any 

open season shall be awarded without 

undue discrimination or preference of 

any kind.

§ 157.36 Open seasons for expansions. 

Any open season for capacity 

exceeding the initial capacity of an 

Alaska natural gas transportation project 

must provide the opportunity for the 

transportation of gas other than Prudhoe 

Bay or Point Thomson production.

[FR Doc. 04–25933 Filed 11–22–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Internal Revenue Service 

26 CFR Part 1 

[REG–208246–90] 

RIN 1545–BD47 

Allocation and Apportionment of 

Deductions for Charitable 

Contributions; Hearing Cancellation

AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), 

Treasury.

ACTION: Cancellation of notice of public 

hearing on proposed rulemaking. 

SUMMARY: This document provides 

notice of cancellation of a public 

hearing on proposed regulations relating 

to the allocation and apportionment of 

charitable deductions.

DATES: The public hearing originally 

scheduled for Thursday, December 2, 

2004, at 10 a.m., is cancelled.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Treena Garrett of the Publications and 

Regulations Branch, Associate Chief 

Counsel (Procedure and Administration) 

(202) 622–7180 (not a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A notice 

of proposed rulemaking and notice of 

public hearing that appeared in the 

Federal Register on Wednesday, July 

28, 2004, (69 FR 44988), announced that 

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 225 / Tuesday, November 23, 2004 / Proposed Rules 68111

a public hearing was scheduled for 

Thursday, December 2, 2004, at 10 a.m. 

in the IRS Auditorium, Internal Revenue 

Service Building, 1111 Constitution 

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. The 

subject of the public hearing is proposed 

regulations under section 861 of the 

Internal Revenue Code. The public 

comment period for these proposed 

regulations expired on Tuesday, October 

26, 2004. Outlines of oral comments 

were due on Tuesday, November 12, 

2004. 

The notice of proposed rulemaking 

and notice of public hearing, instructed 

those interested in testifying at the 

public hearing to submit a request to 

speak and an outline of the topics to be 

addressed. As of Wednesday, November 

17, 2004, no one has requested to speak. 

Therefore, the public hearing scheduled 

for Tuesday, December 2, 2004, is 

cancelled.

Cynthia E. Grigsby, 

Acting Chief, Publications and Regulations 

Branch, Legal Processing Division, Associate 

Chief Counsel, (Procedure and 

Administration).

[FR Doc. 04–25964 Filed 11–22–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4830–01–P

GENERAL SERVICES 

ADMINISTRATION

41 CFR Parts 300–3, 302–2, 302–3, 

302–4, 302–5, 302–6, 302–7, 302–9, 

302–11, and 302–15

[FTR Case 2003–309]

RIN 3090–AH91

Federal Travel Regulation; Relocation 

Allowances

AGENCY: Office of Governmentwide 

Policy, General Services Administration 

(GSA).

ACTION: Proposed rule.

SUMMARY: The General Services 

Administration (GSA) Office of 

Governmentwide Policy (OGP) 

continually reviews and adjusts policies 

as a part of its ongoing mission to 

provide policy assistance to the 

Government agencies subject to the 

Federal Travel Regulation (FTR). 

Accordingly, GSA created the 

Relocation Best Practices Committee 

(RBPC) to examine Government 

relocation policy. The RBPC consists of 

Government as well as private sector 

relocation experts and produced a 

complete package of recommendations 

affecting the statutes and regulations 

governing relocation. The following 

proposed FTR changes are the result of 

recommendations from the RBPC from 

benchmarking against private industry, 

and from GSA, representing 

Governmentwide policy interests. The 

proposed changes are intended to keep 

Government relocation practices in line 

with current relocation trends and allow 

for better management of the 

Government relocation programs and 

costs.

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before January 24, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments 

identified by FTR case 2003–309 by any 

of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments.

• Agency Web Site: http://

www.gsa.gov/ftr. Click on the FTR Case 

number to submit comments.

• E-mail: ftrcase.2003–309@gsa.gov.

Include FTR case 2003–309 in the 

subject line of the message.

• Fax: 202–501–4067.

• Mail: General Services 

Administration, Regulatory Secretariat 

(V), 1800 F Street, NW., Room 4035, 

ATTN: Laurie Duarte, Washington, DC 

20405.

Instructions: Please submit comments 

only and cite FTR case 2003–309 in all 

correspondence related to this case. All 

comments received will be posted 

without change to http://www.gsa.gov/

ftr, including any personal information 

provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The 

Regulatory Secretariat, Room 4035, GS 

Building, Washington, DC, 20405, (202) 

208–7312, for information pertaining to 

status or publication schedules. For 

clarification of content, contact Ed 

Davis, Program Analyst (Team Leader), 

Office of Governmentwide Policy, 

Travel Management Policy, at (202) 

208–7638. Please cite FTR case 2003–

309.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Background

The General Services Administration 

(GSA), Office of Governmentwide Policy 

(OGP), reviews the regulations under its 

purview to address current Government 

relocation needs and incorporate private 

industry policies and best practices, 

where appropriate. Relocation is an area 

that continuously changes. Parts of the 

relocation regulation, such as the 

storage time and temporary quarters 

allowance time should not stand alone 

but be considered in relation to each 

other. Changes such as these need to be 

made as part of a new comprehensive 

relocation regulation.

Much of private industry uses lump 

sum relocation payments for all 

relocation expenses except real estate 

expenses. Thus, temporary quarters, 

miscellaneous expenses, and other 

payments have a small one-time 

administrative cost and do not need to 

be reconciled in a post-payment audit. 

The administrative savings and 

efficiency improvements of such 

systems are clear.

Private industry spends less time on 

its relocation packages because as a rule 

they are tiered, more flexible to handle 

exceptions, and relocation expenses 

rarely extend beyond one year because 

there are no extensions. The focus is on 

getting the transferee settled at the new 

location as fast as possible in permanent 

quarters. The main lesson that the 

Government can learn from 

benchmarking against private industry 

is that expediency is important. 

Currently, the Government permits 

Federal employees to voucher items 

from a move up to 4 years after the 

move (2 years to complete a relocation 

plus a two year extension). This is a 

drain on Federal accounting systems as 

monies must remain allocated to cover 

transactions.

The Travel Management Policy 

Division of OGP examined the issues 

facing agencies and employees in a 

relocation. Through benchmarking 

sessions with private industry as well as 

a RBPC consisting of many agencies’

relocation policy experts, the current 

proposed rules emerged.

B. Proposed Changes

This proposed rule—

• Amends section 300–3.1 to add the 

terms and definitions for ‘‘accompanied 

baggage’’ and ‘‘unaccompanied air 

baggage’’ and change the definitions for 

‘‘Household Goods (HHG)’’ and ‘‘Nonforeign area’’;

• Amends sections 302–2.8, 302–2.9, 

302–2.10, 302–2.11, and 302–2.110 to 

reduce the length of time to complete a 

relocation from two years to one year;

• Further amends sections 302–2.11 

and 302–2.110 to reduce the length of 

time for relocation extensions from two 

years to one year;

• Adds two new sections to part 302–

2, subpart A, and amends section 302–

2.100 to require disclosure statements so 

that the Government will not pay for 

relocation expenses that are paid by 

another Government or private source;

• Adds seven new sections to part 

302–2, subpart B, to define relocation 

programs, relocation payment systems, 

and relocation management reporting 

systems;

• Adds two new sections to part 302–

3, subpart D, relating to separation 

travel timing and extensions;

• Revises section 302–4.300 to reduce 

the mileage rate for relocation to be in