[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 144 (Wednesday, July 29, 2009)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 37519-37521]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-18031]


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FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

11 CFR Part 8

[Notice 2009-17]

ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION

11 CFR Part 9428


Reorganization of National Voter Registration Act Regulations

AGENCY: Federal Election Commission; Election Assistance Commission.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Election Commission (FEC) and the Election 
Assistance Commission (EAC) are jointly taking action to transfer 
regulations implementing the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 
(NVRA) from the FEC to the EAC. The Help America Vote Act of 2002 
transferred the FEC's former statutory authority regarding the NVRA 
regulations to the EAC. Further information is provided in the 
supplementary information that follows.

DATES: This rule is effective August 28, 2009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Tamar Nedzar, Attorney, Election 
Assistance Commission, 1225 New York Avenue, NW., Suite 1100, 
Washington, DC 20005, (202) 566-3100 or (866) 747-1471; or Mr. Robert 
M. Knop, Assistant General Counsel, or Mr. Joshua S. Blume, Attorney, 
Federal Election Commission, 999 E Street, NW., Washington, DC 20463, 
(202) 694-1650 or (800) 424-9530.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (``NVRA'') \1\ required 
the Federal Election Commission, in consultation with the chief 
election officers of the States, to develop a mail voter registration 
application form for elections to Federal office, and to submit to 
Congress no later than June 30 of each odd-numbered year (beginning 
June 30, 1995) a report that assesses the impact of the NVRA and 
recommends improvements in Federal and State procedures, forms, and 
other matters affected by the NVRA. 42 U.S.C. 1973gg-7(a)(2), (a)(3) 
(1993). The NVRA also assigned to the FEC the responsibility of 
prescribing, in consultation with the chief election officers of the 
States, such regulations as are necessary to carry out the 
aforementioned functions. 42 U.S.C. 1973gg-7(a)(1) (1993). The FEC 
issued regulations implementing these NVRA requirements on June 23, 
1994.\2\ These regulations are all currently codified in Part 8 of 
title 11, Chapter 1 of the Code of Federal Regulations (``11 CFR Part 
8'').
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    \1\ Pub. L. 103-31, 107 Stat. 77, 42 U.S.C. 1973gg-1 et seq. 
(1993).
    \2\ 59 FR 32323 (June 23, 1994).
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    Section 802 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (``HAVA'') \3\ 
transferred the FEC's responsibilities under the NVRA to the EAC--an 
independent Federal agency created by HAVA\4\ with responsibilities 
related to various aspects of Federal election administration. 42 
U.S.C. 15532.\5\ Accordingly, in order to facilitate the EAC's exercise 
of its statutory authority, the FEC is transferring the regulations 
implementing Section 9(a) (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-7(a)) of the NVRA to the 
EAC.
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    \3\ Pub. L. 107-252, 116 Stat. 1726, 42 U.S.C. 15532 (2002).
    \4\ 42 U.S.C. 15321.
    \5\ ``There are transferred to the Election Assistance 
Commission established under section 201 all functions which the 
Federal Election Commission exercised under section 9(a) of the 
National Voter Registration Act of 1993 before the date of the 
enactment of this Act.'' HAVA was enacted on October 29, 2002.
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Transfer and Redesignation of Part 8

    The FEC and the EAC, through this joint final rule, are removing 
the regulations in 11 CFR part 8 and simultaneously recodifying them in 
Chapter II of Title 11, which houses regulations created and 
administered by the EAC. Part 8 is simultaneously redesignated as Part 
9428. Accordingly, 11 CFR 8.1 through 8.7 are redesignated as new 11 
CFR 9428.1 through 9428.7. This is illustrated in a table below.

[[Page 37520]]



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                                                               New Part
              Part 8                        Heading              9428
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                      Subpart A--General Provisions
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Sec.   8.1.......................  Purpose & scope..........        Sec.
                                                                  9428.1
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Sec.   8.2.......................  Definitions..............        Sec.
                                                                  9428.2
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            Subpart B--National Mail Voter Registration Form
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Sec.   8.3.......................  General information......        Sec.
                                                                  9428.3
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Sec.   8.4.......................  Contents.................        Sec.
                                                                  9428.4
Sec.   8.5.......................  Format...................        Sec.
                                                                  9428.5
Sec.   8.6.......................  Chief state election             Sec.
                                    official.                     9428.6
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                 Subpart C--Recordkeeping and Reporting
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Sec.   8.7.......................  Contents of reports from         Sec.
                                    the states.                   9428.7
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    The FEC and EAC are also making conforming changes to the rules to 
replace references to rules in Part 8 with references to corresponding 
rules in Part 9428, and to replace references to the ``Federal Election 
Commission'' with references to the ``Election Assistance Commission.'' 
The rule does not make any substantive changes to the new Part 9428 
regulations. The EAC may exercise its rulemaking authority to make 
substantive and technical changes to these rules in the future.

Administrative Procedure Act

    The FEC and the EAC find that good cause exists for adopting this 
rule as a final rule and without public notice and comment under 5 
U.S.C. 553(b) because this rule simply relocates and redesignates the 
regulations in 11 CFR part 8, while making only minor conforming 
technical changes and no substantive changes to those regulations. The 
rule reflects the transfer of functions contemplated by the Help 
America Vote Act of 2002. Accordingly, public notice and comment is 
unnecessary. 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B).\6\ Further, because the transfer of 
the regulations is vital to the EAC's ability to function in an area of 
core responsibility assigned by Congress, the additional delay that 
would be incurred by resorting to notice and comment procedures would 
be contrary to the public interest. 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B). See, e.g. 
National Nutritional Foods Assoc. v. Kennedy, 572 F.2d 377, 384-85 (2nd 
Cir. 1978), quoting Senate Report, No. 752, 79th Cong. 1st Sess. 
(1945).
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    \6\ Should the EAC propose substantive changes to these 
regulations on future occasions, it will provide notice and an 
opportunity to comment pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act.
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Transmittal of Final Rule to Congress

    Under the Congressional Review of Agency Rulemaking Act, 5 U.S.C. 
801(a)(1), agencies must submit final rules to the Speaker of the House 
of Representatives and the President of the Senate before they take 
effect. The final rule that follows was transmitted to Congress on July 
24, 2009.

Certification of No Effect Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 605(b) (Regulatory 
Flexibility Act)

    Because no notice of proposed rulemaking is required for this rule 
under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), the provisions 
of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) do not apply. 
See 5 U.S.C. 604(a).

Paperwork Reduction Act

    The provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), Public 
Law 104-13, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35, and its implementing regulations at 5 
CFR part 1320, require that an agency subject to PRA submit to OMB for 
approval information collection and recordkeeping requirements 
associated with agency actions. The FEC is statutorily exempted from 
the provisions of the PRA while the EAC is not. Consequently, the 
regulations currently at 11 CFR part 8 do not have an associated OMB 
control number; whereas the transferred regulations at 11 CFR part 9428 
are required to have an associated OMB control number. Accordingly, 
concurrent with this joint rulemaking activity, the EAC will 
independently publish a separate PRA notice seeking emergency 
clearance.

List of Subjects

11 CFR Part 8 and 11 CFR Part 9428

    Elections, reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

0
For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Federal Election 
Commission and the Election Assistance Commission amend chapters I and 
II of title 11 of the Code of Federal Regulations as follows:



TITLE 11--FEDERAL ELECTIONS

CHAPTER I--FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

PART 8--[REDESIGNATED AS PART 9428]

0
1. Transfer 11 CFR Part 8 from Chapter I to Chapter II and redesignate 
as 11 CFR part 9428.

CHAPTER II--ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION

PART 9428--NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION ACT (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-1 et 
seq.)

0
2. The authority citation for the newly redesignated 11 CFR part 9428 
is revised to read as follows:

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 1973gg-1 et seq., 15532


Sec. Sec.  9428.3, 9428.4, 9428.5 and 9428.7  [Amended]

0
3. Amend the newly redesignated Part 9428 as follows:

[[Page 37521]]



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                                    By removing the reference
               Amend                            to                          And adding in its place
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Sec.   9428.3(a)..................  11 CFR 8.4...............  11 CFR 9428.4.
Sec.   9428.4(a)(6)(ii)...........  11 CFR 8.6(c)............  11 CFR 9428.6(c).
Sec.   9428.5(a)..................  ``Federal Election         ``Commission's''.
                                     Commission's''.
Sec.   9428.5(b)..................  11 CFR 8.4(c)............  11 CFR 9428.4(c).
Sec.   9428.5(f)(2)...............  11 CFR 8.4(b)(1), (6),     11 CFR 9428.4(b)(1), (6), and (7).
                                     and (7).
Sec.   9428.5(f)(2)...............  11 CFR 8.4(b)(2).........  11 CFR 9428.4(b)(2).
Sec.   9428.6(b)..................  11 CFR 8.4(a)(2).........  11 CFR 9428.4(a)(2).
Sec.   9428.7(a)..................  ``Federal Election         ``Election Assistance Commission, 1225 New York
                                     Commission, 999 E          Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20005.''.
                                     Street, NW., Washington,
                                     DC 20463.''.
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    On behalf of the Commission.
Steven T. Walther,
Chairman, Federal Election Commission.
Gineen B. Beach,
Chair, Election Assistance Commission.
[FR Doc. E9-18031 Filed 7-28-09; 8:45 am]
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