62596 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 199 / Monday, October 15, 2012 / Notices 

surveys to ensure that Passport Services 

reaches the appropriate audience and 

leverages the best research method 

obtain valid responses. The survey data 

will cover an estimated 48,000 

respondents annually and will include 

topics covering passport demand, travel, 

and socio-demographic variables of 

interest to the United States Department 

of State. 

Dated: September 27, 2012. 

Rachel M. Arndt, 

Managing Director (Acting), Passport Support 

Operations, Bureau of Consular Affairs, 

Department of State. 

[FR Doc. 2012–25249 Filed 10–12–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–06–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 8062] 

Allowing New Investment in Burma 

AGENCY: Bureau of Economic & Business 

Affairs, Office of Sanctions Policy and 

Implementation, Department of State. 

SUMMARY: The Deputy Secretary of State 

has determined that it would be 

contrary to the national security 

interests of the United States to 

continue to apply the sanction referred 

to in section 570(b) of the Foreign 

Operations, Export Financing, and 

Related Programs Appropriations Act of 

1997 (Pub. L. 104–208) (the ‘‘Act’’), 

which authorizes and directs the 

President to prohibit U.S. persons from 

making new investment in Burma, if the 

President makes certain determinations 

and certifications to Congress. The 

President made the required 

determinations and certifications and 

imposed a prohibition on new 

investment in Executive Order 13047 

(May 20, 1997). He subsequently 

delegated the waiver authority under 

Section 570(e) of the Act to the 

Secretary of State on July 11, 2012, and 

the determination described above 

constitutes the exercise of such waiver 

authority. In conjunction with this 

waiver determination, the Department 

of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign 

Assets Control issued a General License 

(No. 17) on July 11, 2012 authorizing 

new investment in Burma by U.S. 

persons subject to limitations and 

requirements set forth therein. 

These steps are in response to the 

recent reforms that have taken place in 

Burma over the past year. Continued 

application of the ban on investment 

would be contrary to U.S. national 

security interests because it would 

hinder current U.S. policy to support 

those in the Burmese government 

leading important reform efforts. 

Further reforms would advance 

longstanding U.S. national security 

interests such as promoting national 

reconciliation and democracy in Burma; 

improving respect for human rights; 

curtailing the flow from Burma of 

refugees, illicit narcotics, infectious 

diseases, and victims of trafficking; and 

advancing nonproliferation goals. While 

the Department of State remains 

concerned about the protection of 

human rights, corruption, and the role 

of the military in the Burmese economy, 

it believes that the participation of U.S. 

businesses in the Burmese economy will 

set a model for responsible investment 

and business operations as well as 

encourage further change, promote 

economic development, and contribute 

to the welfare of the Burmese people. 

DATES: Effective Date: July 11, 2012. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John 

Marshall Klein, Senior Sanctions 

Officer, Economic & Business Affairs, 

Office of Sanctions Policy and 

Implementation, 202–647–9452. 

Dated: September 27, 2012. 

Jose W. Fernandez, 

Assistant Secretary for Economic and 

Business Affairs, Department of State. 

[FR Doc. 2012–25252 Filed 10–12–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–07–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Office of the Secretary of 

Transportation 

Interim Guidance on State Freight 

Plans and State Freight Advisory 

Committees 

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary of 

Transportation (OST), U.S. Department 

of Transportation (DOT), Federal 

Aviation Administration (FAA), Federal 

Highway Administration (FHWA), 

Federal Motor Carriers Administration 

(FMCSA) Federal Railroad 

Administration (FRA), Maritime 

Administration (MARAD), Pipeline and 

Hazardous Materials Safety 

Administration (PHSMA), Research and 

Innovative Technology Administration 

(RITA), St. Lawrence Seaway 

Development Corporation (SLSDC). 

ACTION: Notice of Interim Guidance and 

Request for Comments. 

SUMMARY: On July 6, 2012, the President 

signed into law Public Law 112–141, the 

Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st 

Century Act (MAP–21). Section 1118 of 

MAP–21 directs the Secretary of 

Transportation to encourage each State 

to develop a comprehensive State 

Freight Plan that outlines immediate 

and long-range plans for freight-related 

transportation investments. Section 

1117 of MAP–21 directs the Secretary to 

encourage each State to establish a State 

Freight Advisory Committee. The 

Department of Transportation is issuing 

this Notice to provide Interim Guidance 

on both State Freight Plans and State 

Freight Advisory Committees. It 

encourages States to develop State 

Freight Plans and provides guidance to 

States on the required elements of a 

State Freight Plan and information on 

funding and on the relationship of State 

Freight Plans to other provisions of 

MAP–21. It encourages States to 

develop State Freight Advisory 

Committees as part of the process for 

developing a State Freight Plan. The 

Department requests public comments 

on all aspects of this Interim Guidance. 

DATES: All public comments must be 

received by November 15, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: You may send comments 

identified by Docket Number DOT– 

OST–2012–0168 using any of the 

following methods: 

Government-wide rulemaking Web 

site: http://www.regulations.gov and 

follow the instructions for sending your 

comments electronically. 

Mail: Docket Management Facility, 

U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, 

DC 20590–0001. Fax 1–202–493–2251. 

Courier: commercial delivery service, 

such as, but not limited to the 

following—Federal Express or United 

Parcel Service, addressed to Docket 

Management Facility, U.S. Department 

of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590. 

Hand Delivery: Docket Management 

Facility, U.S. Department of 

Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Washington, DC between 9 

a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 

except Federal holidays. 

The Department will post all 

comments received, without change, to 

http://www.regulations.gov, including 

any personal information. If you mail or 

hand deliver your comments and want 

the Department to acknowledge receipt 

of your comments, include with your 

comments a pre-addressed, stamped 

postcard on which the docket number 

appears. We will stamp the date on the 

postcard and mail it to you. 

Docket: To read background 

documents or comments received, go to 

http://www.regulations.gov or to Docket 

Management Facility, U.S. Department 

of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9 

a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 

except Federal holidays. 

Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search 

the electronic form of all comments 


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