78094 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 249 / Wednesday, December 29, 2004 / Notices 

State or Territory Award 

Arizona ...................................... 100,000 

Arkansas ................................... 100,000 

California ................................... 439,035 

Colorado ................................... 100,000 

Connecticut ............................... 100,000 

Delaware ................................... 100,000 

Florida ....................................... 245,288 

Georgia ..................................... 130,301 

Hawaii ....................................... 100,000 

Idaho ......................................... 100,000 

Illinois ........................................ 167,305 

Indiana ...................................... 100,000 

Iowa .......................................... 100,000 

Kansas ...................................... 100,000 

Kentucky ................................... 115,761 

Louisiana .................................. 100,000 

Maine ........................................ 100,000 

Maryland ................................... 100,000 

Massachusetts .......................... 104,768 

Michigan ................................... 163,605 

Minnesota ................................. 100,000 

Mississippi ................................ 100,000 

Missouri .................................... 100,000 

Montana .................................... 100,000 

Nebraska .................................. 100,000 

Nevada ..................................... 100,000 

New Hampshire ........................ 100,000 

New Jersey ............................... 100,000 

New Mexico .............................. 100,000 

New York .................................. 319,006 

North Carolina .......................... 146,570 

North Dakota ............................ 100,000 

Ohio .......................................... 177,910 

Oklahoma ................................. 100,000 

Oregon ...................................... 100,000 

Pennsylvania ............................ 203,256 

Rhode Island ............................ 100,000 

South Carolina .......................... 100,000 

South Dakota ............................ 100,000 

Tennessee ................................ 117,012 

Texas ........................................ 237,941 

Utah .......................................... 100,000 

Vermont .................................... 100,000 

Virginia ...................................... 100,000 

Washington ............................... 100,000 

West Virginia ............................ 100,000 

Wisconsin ................................. 100,000 

Wyoming ................................... 100,000 

District of Columbia .................. 100,000 

Puerto Rico ............................... 100,000 

American Samoa ...................... 50,000 

Guam ........................................ 50,000 

Northern Mariana Islands ......... 50,000 

Virgin Islands ............................ 50,000 

Native American Program ........ 50,000 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jennifer DeBoy, 410–965–8658.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Request for Applications was originally 

published as Program Announcement 

No. SSA–OESP–04–1. The authority for 

these grants is found in section 1150 of 

the Social Security Act, as added by 

section 122 of Public Law 106–170 (the 

Ticket to Work and Work Incentives 

Improvement Act of 1999), and 

amended by sections 404 and 477 of 

Public Law 108–203. This section, State 

Grants for Work Incentives Assistance to 

Disabled Beneficiaries, authorized the 

Commissioner to make payments only 

to the designated Protection and 

Advocacy Systems established under 

title I of the Developmental Disabilities 

Assistance and Bill of Rights Act 

(subsequently replaced by title I of the 

Developmental Disabilities Assistance 

and Bill of Rights Act of 2000, Public 

Law 106–402). Formula-based award 

amounts are derived from the Social 

Security Administration’s disability 

population statistics for each State and 

Territory.

Dated: December 21, 2004. 

Martin H. Gerry, 

Deputy Commissioner for Disability and 

Income Security Programs.

[FR Doc. 04–28471 Filed 12–28–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4191–02–P

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

Benefits Planning, Assistance and 

Outreach (BPAO) Meeting

AGENCY: Social Security Administration 

(SSA).

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

DATES: January 13, 2005, 12 p.m.–4 p.m.

ADDRESSES: International Trade Center 

(ITC) Bldg., Conference Room 839, 500 

E Street, SW., Washington, DC 20254.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Type of meeting: This is an 

informational meeting open to all 

interested parties. Interested parties are 

invited to participate by coming to the 

address listed above or by 

teleconferencing. Public comment will 

be taken. 

Purpose: SSA announces a meeting to 

solicit public input regarding the 

reauthorization of the Benefits Planning, 

Assistance and Outreach (BPAO) 

Program. Section 1149(d) of the Social 

Security Act (as added by section 121 of 

the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives 

Improvement Act (TWWIAA) of 1999, 

Public Law (Pub. L.) 106–170) required 

SSA to establish community based 

benefits planning, assistance and 

outreach projects in every State, the 

District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, 

Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, 

American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin 

Islands. Section 407 of the Social 

Security Protection Act (Pub. L. 108–

203) recently extended the authorization 

of these programs. 

SSA will solicit public input during 

this meeting regarding the new BPAO 

Request for Application (RFA) process, 

including what services should be 

provided by projects in support of 

beneficiaries, with disabilities, in their 

return to work efforts and what are the 

preferred characteristics of the 

organizations providing such services. 

Interested parties may also submit input 

in writing at http://

www.socialsecurity.gov/work.

Since seating may be limited, persons 

interested in providing comments at the 

meeting should contact SSA Project 

Officer, Odessa Doaty, via e mail at: 

Odessa.Doaty@ssa.gov or by calling: 

(410) 966–8333 prior to the meeting 

date. 

The full agenda for the meeting will 

be posted on the Internet at http://

www.socialsecurity.gov/work, at least 

one week before the meeting, or can be 

received in advance electronically or by 

fax upon request. Teleconference call-in 

information will also be available at that 

time for interested parties who would 

like to participate through this venue. 

Contact Information: Anyone 

requiring information regarding the 

meeting should contact Odessa Doaty, 

SSA Project Officer, at (410) 966–8333. 

Transcripts will be kept of the 

proceedings and will be available for 

public inspection at http://

www.socialsecurity.gov/work no later 

than thirty (30) days following the 

meeting. 

If accommodations are needed, please 

contact Odessa Doaty no later than ten 

(10) business days prior to the meeting. 

Ms. Doaty may be contacted by: 

• Mail address: Odessa Doaty, Social 

Security Administration, 6401 Security 

Blvd., Room 107 Altmeyer Bldg, 

Baltimore, MD 21235. 

• Phone: (410) 966–8333. 

• Fax : (410) 966–1278. 

• E-mail: Odessa.Doaty@ssa.gov.

Dated: December 16, 2004. 

Martin H. Gerry, 

Deputy Commissioner for Disability and 

Income Security Programs.

[FR Doc. 04–28470 Filed 12–28–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4191–02–P

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES 

TRADE REPRESENTATIVE 

United States-Israel Free Trade Area 

Implementation Act; Designation of 

Qualifying Industrial Zones

AGENCY: Office of the United States 

Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: Under the United States-Israel 

Free Trade Area Implementation Act 

(‘‘IFTA Act’’), articles of qualifying 

industrial zones encompassing portions 

of Israel and Jordan or Israel and Egypt 

are eligible to receive duty-free 

treatment. Effective upon publication of 

this notice, the United States Trade 

Representative, pursuant to authority 

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 249 / Wednesday, December 29, 2004 / Notices 78095

1The trackage rights will be granted by the State 

acting by and through the South Dakota State 

Railroad Board and the South Dakota Department 

of Transportation, Office of Railroads.

2The previously abandoned Mitchell-Kadoka 

Line, which is now owned by the State, has been 

leased to MRC. And MRC, in turn, has subleased 

the Mitchell-Kadoka Line to Dakota Southern 

Railway Company (DSRC), which operates over the 

line.

delegated by the President, is 

designating the Greater Cairo zone, 

Alexandria zone, and Suez Canal zone 

as qualifying industrial zones under the 

IFTA Act.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Edmund Saums, Director for Middle 

East Affairs, (202) 395–4987, Office of 

the United States Trade Representative, 

600 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 

20508.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant 

to authority granted under section 9 of 

the United States-Israel Free Trade Area 

Implementation Act of 1985 (‘‘IFTA 

Act’’), as amended (19 U.S.C. 2112 

note), Presidential Proclamation 6955 of 

November 13, 1996 (61 FR 58761) 

proclaimed certain tariff treatment for 

articles of the West Bank, the Gaza 

Strip, and qualifying industrial zones. In 

particular, the Presidential Proclamation 

modified general notes 3 and 8 of the 

Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 

United States: (a) To provide duty-free 

treatment to qualifying articles that are 

the product of the West Bank, the Gaza 

Strip or a qualifying industrial zone and 

are entered in accordance with the 

provisions of section 9 of the IFTA Act; 

(b) to provide that articles of Israel may 

be treated as though they were articles 

directly shipped from Israel for the 

purposes of the United States-Israel Free 

Trade Area Agreement (‘‘the 

Agreement’’) even if shipped to the 

United States from the West Bank, the 

Gaza Strip, or a qualifying industrial 

zone, if the articles otherwise meet the 

requirements of the Agreement; and (c) 

to provide that the cost or value of 

materials produced in the West Bank, 

the Gaza Strip, or a qualifying industrial 

zone may be included in the cost or 

value of materials produced in Israel 

under section 1(c)(i) of Annex 3 of the 

Agreement and that the direct costs of 

processing operations performed in the 

West Bank, the Gaza Strip, or a 

qualifying industrial zone may be 

included in the direct costs of 

processing operations performed in 

Israel under section 1(c)(ii) of Annex 3 

of the Agreement. 

Section 9(e) of the IFTA Act defines 

a ‘‘qualifying industrial zone’’ as an area 

that ‘‘(1) encompasses portions of the 

territory of Israel and Jordan or Israel 

and Egypt; (2) has been designated by 

local authorities as an enclave where 

merchandise may enter without 

payment of duty or excise taxes; and (3) 

has been specified by the President as 

a qualifying industrial zone.’’

Presidential Proclamation 6955 

delegated to the United States Trade 

Representative the authority to 

designate qualifying industrial zones. 

The United States Trade 

Representative has previously 

designated qualifying industrial zones 

under Section 9 of the IFTA Act on 

March 13, 1998 (63 FR 12572), March 

19, 1999 (64 FR 13623), October 15, 

1999 (64 FR 56015), October 24, 2000 

(65 FR 64472), December 12, 2000 (65 

FR 77688), June 15, 2001 (66 FR 32660), 

and January 28, 2004 (69 FR 4199). 

The governments of Israel and Egypt 

jointly requested in a letter submitted to 

the United States Trade Representative 

on December 7, 2004, the designation as 

qualifying industrial zones of areas 

comprising a Greater Cairo zone, 

Alexandria zone, and Suez Canal zone. 

The names and locations of the factories 

comprising these three zones are 

specified on maps and materials 

submitted by Egypt and Israel and on 

file with the Office of the U.S. Trade 

Representative. Israel and Egypt have 

agreed that merchandise may enter, 

without payment of duty or excise taxes, 

areas under their respective customs 

control that comprise the Greater Cairo 

zone, Alexandria zone, and Suez Canal 

zone. In addition, Israel and Egypt have 

agreed to a ‘‘Protocol Between the 

Government of the State of Israel and 

the Government of the Arab Republic of 

Egypt On Qualifying Industrial Zones’

that provides for the operation and 

administration of these zones. 

Accordingly, the Greater Cairo zone, 

Alexandria zone, and Suez Canal zone 

meet the criteria under sections 9(e)(1) 

and (2) of the IFTA Act. 

Therefore, pursuant to the authority 

delegated to me by Presidential 

Proclamation 6955, I hereby designate 

the areas occupied by the factories that 

comprise the Greater Cairo zone, 

Alexandria zone, and Suez Canal zone, 

as specified on maps and materials 

received from Egypt and Israel, as 

qualifying industrial zones under 

section 9 of the IFTA Act, effective upon 

the date of publication of this notice, 

applicable to articles shipped from these 

qualifying industrial zones after such 

date.

Dated: December 14, 2004. 

Robert B. Zoellick, 

United States Trade Representative.

[FR Doc. 04–28445 Filed 12–28–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3190–W5–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board 

[STB Finance Docket No. 34630] 

MRC Regional Railroad Authority—

Trackage Rights Exemption—Lines of 

the State of South Dakota 

MRC Regional Railroad Authority 

(MRC), a noncarrier, has filed a verified 

notice of exemption under 49 CFR 

1150.31 to acquire from the State of 

South Dakota (the State) 1 overhead 

trackage rights over a line of railroad 

extending between milepost 654 near 

Mitchell, SD, and milepost 511.90 in 

Sioux City, IA, including such yard 

tracks, sidetracks, and connecting tracks 

(existing or to be constructed) as are 

reasonable: (a) To interchange railcars 

with The Burlington Northern and Santa 

Fe Railway Company (BNSF) and 

Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad 

Corporation at Mitchell; (b) to access the 

State-owned line extending westerly 

from Napa Junction, SD, to Platte, SD; 

and (c) to interchange railcars with 

BNSF, Union Pacific Railroad Company, 

and Canadian National Railway 

Company at Sioux City. MRC will also 

acquire from the State limited local 

trackage rights on the Mitchell-Sioux 

City Line: (i) to move loaded cars of 

corn, soybeans, and wheat originating at 

points on the line between Mitchell and 

Kadoka, SD,2 and terminating at the 

Mitchell Elevator in Mitchell and the 

Beardsley Elevator in Beardsley, SD; 

and (ii) to move empty cars via the 

reverse route. The total distance of the 

trackage rights to be acquired is 

approximately 142.1 miles.

MRC certifies that its projected 

revenues as a result of the MRC-South 

Dakota transaction will not result in 

MRC becoming a Class I or Class II rail 

carrier, and further certifies that its 

projected revenues will not exceed $5 

million. The MRC-South Dakota 

transaction was scheduled to be 

consummated on or after December 17, 

2004. 

If the verified notice contains false or 

misleading information, the exemption 

is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the 

exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) 

may be filed at any time. The filing of 

a petition to revoke does not 

automatically stay the transaction.