Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 83 / Friday, April 28, 2000 / Notices 25009

HCFA Will Have a Full Day Roundtable

Session on May 10 on Provider

Enrollment for Medicare Billing

Privileges

HCFA is proposing to revise its

provider enrollment forms. It has

consulted with the industry, conducted

various outreach, including at least one

town meeting. In response to the

industry input, HCFA has made some

changes to the new forms and other

aspects of the proposal. Prior to

publishing the proposal for agency

review and public comment, HCFA

would like additional public dialogue

on the proposed forms. Drafts of the

proposed forms are at http://

www.hcfa.gov/regs/prdact95.htm. Key

issues are:

(1) Use of three separate forms to

target specific providers and suppliers

(855 for individual practitioners, 855A

for providers billing fiscal

intermediaries, and 855B for

organizations billing carriers);

(2) Differences between current and

proposed forms;

(3) Needs and use of the information;

and

(4) Use of information technology.

On May 11, the IRS Will Have a Full

Day Roundtable on Post Filing Burden

Post-filing time and out-of-pocket

costs incurred by taxpayers in an effort

to comply with the existing tax laws

have been largely unmeasured. In 1983

Arthur D. Little developed a

methodology to measure filing burden.

However, no method was developed to

measure post-filing burden. The focus of

this roundtable discussion will be to

assess ways in which post-filing burden

can and should be measured.

The issues to be discussed during this

roundtable session are:

(1) Defining Post Filing Burden. When

does the post-filing process begin? Can

post filing burden be initiated by the

taxpayer or only by IRS? What specific

activities constitute post-filing burden?

What is the best way to measure postfiling burden?

(2) Wage and Investment versus Small

Business. How is post-filing burden on

small businesses and the self employed

different from the post-filing burden on

wage and investment taxpayers?

(3) New Approaches. Given IRS’s

mission to provide American taxpayers

with quality service by helping them

understand and meet their tax

responsibilities what processes and

procedures do you think IRS can

streamline to alleviate post-filing

burden? As the IRS restructures, what

operational issues should it consider

that would reduce small business/selfemployed filing burden?

(4) The IRS is conducting a pilot in

which qualified tax professionals can

discuss taxpayer account issues with

IRS customer service representatives by

e-mail over the IRS Web site 24 hours

a day. How effective is such a program

in reducing post-filing burden? How

might the IRS maximize the benefit of

information technology to minimize

post filing burden?

Among the information collections

that DOT has chosen for this initiative

are two associated with rulemakings

that are either proposed or about to be

proposed. First, the Department

published in the Federal Register on

December 9, 1999 (64 FR 69076) a

notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM)

to revise the Department’s drug and

alcohol testing procedures. DOT has

held public listening sessions on its

proposed rulemaking in Washington DC

on March 20 and 21, in Los Angeles,

California on March 28, and in Dallas

Texas on March 30. Due to the close

proximity of the Information Initiative’s

roundtables to the drug and alcohol

sessions, the latter will be treated as part

of the Information Initiative in lieu of a

roundtable. The Department also will

conduct an electronic chat room

regarding the drug and alcohol NPRM

from April 3 to April 7. The issues

discussed and the comments submitted

in the drug and alcohol meetings and in

the electronic chat room will be

considered at the final Forum and in

OMB’s final report and

recommendations. Similarly, the

Department expects to publish shortly

an NPRM to revise its Motor Carrier

Hours of Service. After it is published,

DOT intends to hold a series of listening

sessions similar to those conducted for

the drug and alcohol NPRM. These

sessions also will be considered part of

the Information Initiative in lieu of a

Roundtable.

ED recently has begun a negotiated

rulemaking that would reengineer its

regulations to make it easier for

educational and financial institutions to

use electronic technology to document

interactions with students and ED. ED

expects to conduct a number of

stakeholder sessions between now and

early summer. These sessions will be

part of the Information Initiative.

On May 5, the participating agencies

will conduct an interagency roundtable

to share best practices and discuss the

challenges and opportunities of

information technology with respect to

information collections. This roundtable

will not be open to the public. An

agency may hold additional roundtables

on one or more of the collections, topics

or issues during the month of May if

warranted.

OMB recommends that attendees

register for the Forum and each

roundtable that they wish to attend.

Attendees may register by e-mail to

rmatzner@omb.eop.gov, or by fax at

202–395–7285. Submit registrations at

least 3 working days before the date of

a Roundtable. All attendees must

provide the following: full name, full

mailing address, telephone number, email address, and each roundtable that

he or she will attend. If an attendee will

attend the Forum held in the EEOB, he

or she must also provide his or her date

of birth and social security number.

John T. Spotila,

Administrator, Office of Information and

Regulatory Affairs.

[FR Doc. 00–10570 Filed 4–27–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3110–01–P

RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD

Agency Forms Submitted for OMB

Review

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44

U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Railroad

Retirement Board (RRB) has submitted

the following proposal(s) for the

collection of information to the Office of

Management and Budget for review and

approval.

Summary of Proposal(s)

(1) Collection title: Application and

Claim for Unemployment Benefits and

Employment Service.

(2) Form(s) submitted: UI–1, UI–3.

(3) OMB Number: 3220–0022.

(4) Expiration date of current OMB

clearance: 8/31/2000.

(5) Type of request: Revision of a

currently approved collection.

(6) Respondents: Individuals or

households.

(7) Estimated annual number of

respondents: 11,200.

(8) Total annual responses: 78,700.

(9) Total annual reporting hours:

8,617.

(10) Collection description: Under

Section 2 of the Railroad

Unemployment Insurance Act,

unemployment benefits are provided for

qualified railroad employees. The

collection obtains the information

needed for determining the eligibility to

and amount of such benefits from

railroad employees.

Additional Information or Comments:

Copies of the forms and supporting

documents can be obtained from Chuck

Mierzwa, the agency clearance officer

(312–751–3363). Comments regarding

the information collection should be

25010 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 83 / Friday, April 28, 2000 / Notices

1Holding Co. Act Release No. 27128.

2Holding Co. Act Release No. 26977.

3The Applicants have also filed in S.E.C. file no.

70–9609 an application-declaration related to the

financing of the proposed Energy East registered

holding company system.

4The Merger will be accounted for as an

acquisition of CMP Group, CTG Resources and

Berkshire Energy by Energy East under the purchase

method of accounting in accordance with generally

accepted accounting principles.

addressed to Ronald J. Hodapp, Railroad

Retirement Board, 844 North Rush

Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60611–2092

and the OMB reviewer, Joe Lackey (202–

395–7316), Office of Management and

Budget, Room 10230, New Executive

Office Building, Washington, DC 20503.

Chuck Mierzwa,

Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 00–10618 Filed 4–27–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7905–01–M

RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD

Agency Forms Submitted for OMB

Review

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44

U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Railroad

Retirement Board (RRB) has submitted

the following proposal(s) for the

collection of information to the Office of

Management and Budget for review and

approval.

Summary of Proposal(s)

(1) Collection title: Nonresident

Questionnaire.

(2) Form(s) submitted: RRB–1001.

(3) OMB Number: 3220–0145.

(4) Expiration date of current OMB

clearance: 6/30/2000.

(5) Type of request: Revision of a

currently approved collection.

(6) Respondents: Individuals or

households.

(7) Estimated annual number of

respondents: 1,500.

(8) Total annual responses: 1,500.

(9) total annual reporting hours: 750.

(10) Collection description: Under the

Railroad Retirement Act, the benefits

payable to an annuitant living outside

the United States may be subject to

withholding under Public Laws 98–21

and 98–76. The form obtains the

information needed to determine the

amount to be withheld.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS:

Copies of the forms and supporting

documents can be obtained from Chuck

Mierzwa, the agency clearance officer

(312–751–3363). Comments regarding

the information collection should be

addressed to Ronald J. Hodapp, Railroad

Retirement Board, 844 North Rush

Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60611–2092

and the OMB reviewer, Joe Lackey (202–

395–7316), Office of Management and

Budget, Room 10230, New Executive

Office Building, Washington, DC 20503.

Chuck Mierzwa,

Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 00–10627 Filed 4–27–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7905–01–M

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE

COMMISSION

[Release No. 35–27171]

Filings Under the Public Utility Holding

Company Act of 1935, as Amended

(‘‘Act’’)

April 21, 2000.

Notice is hereby given that the

following filing(s) has/have been made

with the Commission pursuant to

provisions of the Act and rules

promulgated under the Act. All

interested persons are referred to the

application(s) and/or declaration(s) for

complete statements of the proposed

transaction(s) summarized below. The

application(s) and/or declaration(s) and

any amendment(s) is/are available for

public inspection through the

Commission’s Branch of Public

Reference.

Interested persons wishing to

comment or request a hearing on the

application(s) and/or declaration(s)

should submit their views in writing by

May 16, 2000, to the Secretary,

Securities and Exchange Commission,

Washington, DC 20549–0609, and serve

a copy on the relevant applicant(s) and/

or declarant(s) at the address(es)

specified below. Proof of service (by

affidavit or, in the case of an attorney at

law, by certificate) should be filed with

the request. Any request for hearing

should identify specifically the issues of

facts or law that are disputed. A person

who so requests will be notified of any

hearing, if ordered, and will receive a

copy of any notice or order issued in the

matter. After May 16, 2000, the

application(s) and/or declaration(s), as

filed or as amended, may be granted

and/or permitted to become effective.

Energy East Corp., et al. (70–9569)

Energy East Corp. (‘‘Energy East’’),

P.O. Box 1196, Stamford, Connecticut

06904–1196, a New York corporation

and a public utility holding company

exempt from registration under section

3(a)(1) of the Act, by order of the

Commission dated February 2, 2000,1

CMP Group, Inc. (‘‘CMP Group’’), 83

Edison Dr., Augusta, Maine 04336, a

Maine corporation and a public utility

holding company exempt from

registration under section 3(a)(1) of the

Act, by order of the Commission dated

February 12, 1999,2 CTG Resources, Inc.

(‘‘CTG Resources’’), 100 Columbus

Boulevard, Hartford, Connecticut 06103,

a Connecticut corporation and a public

utility holding company exempt from

registration under section 3(a)(1) by rule

2 under the Act, and Berkshire Energy

Resources (‘‘Berkshire Energy’’), 115

Chesire Road, Pittsfield, Massachusetts

01201, a Massachusetts corporation, and

a public utility holding company

exempt from registration under section

3(a)(2) by rule 2 under the Act

(collectively, ‘‘Applicants’’), have filed

with this Commission an application

under sections 9(a)(2), 10 and 11 under

the Act.

The Applicants seek authorization for

Energy East to acquire all of the issued

and outstanding common stock of CMP

Group, CTG Resources and Berkshire

Energy (‘‘Merger’’). Under the proposed

transactions, CMP Group, CTG

Resources and Berkshire Energy would

become direct subsidiaries of Energy

East and Energy East would register as

a public utility holding company under

section 5 of the Act.3 The Applicants

also seek authorization to operate as a

combination electric and gas utility

holding company. In addition, Energy

East seeks authorization to retain its

interests in its utility and nonutility

activities, businesses and investments

and to acquire and retain the interests

of CMP Group, CTG Resources and

Berkshire Energy’s utility and nonutility

activities, businesses and investments.

Description of the Merger 4

On June 14, 1999, CMP Group, Energy

East and EE Merger Corp. (a wholly

owned subsidiary of Energy East)

entered into the CMP Group Merger

Agreement. The CMP Group Merger

Agreement contemplates that EE Merger

Corp., will merge with and into CMP

Group with CMP Group being the

surviving corporation and becoming a

wholly owned subsidiary of Energy East

(‘‘CMP Group Merger’’). Under the terms

of the CMP Group Merger Agreement,

each outstanding share of CMP Group’s

common stock, $5.00 par value per

share, other than dissenting shares and

any treasury shares or shares owned by

CMP Group, Energy East or any of their

subsidiaries, will be converted into the

right to receive $29.50 in cash. Under

the CMP Group Merger Agreement,

approximately $957 million in cash will

be paid to holders of shares of CMP

Group common stock.

On June 29, 1999, CTG Resources

entered into the CTG Resources Merger

Agreement with Energy East and Oak