Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 111 / Thursday, June 8, 2000 / Notices 36497

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Proposed Request and

Comment Request

In compliance with Public Law 104–

13, the Paperwork Reduction Act of

1995, SSA is providing notice of its

information collections that require

submission to the Office of Management

and Budget (OMB). SSA is soliciting

comments on the accuracy of the

agency’s burden estimate; the need for

the information; its practical utility;

ways to enhance its quality, utility and

clarity; and on ways to minimize burden

on respondents, including the use of

automated collection techniques or

other forms of information technology.

The information collections listed

below will be submitted to OMB within

60 days from the date of this notice.

Therefore, comments and

recommendations regarding the

information collections would be most

useful if received by the Agency within

60 days from the date of this

publication. Comments should be

directed to the SSA Reports Clearance

Officer at the address listed at the end

of the notice. You can obtain a copy of

the collection instrument by calling the

SSA Reports Clearance Officer on (410)

965–4145, or by writing to him.

1. State Vocational Rehabilitation

Agency Claim (SSA–199–U2) and

Subpart V—Payments for Vocational

Rehabilitation Services, 20 CFR Sections

404.2104, 404.2108, 404.2113, 404.2117,

404.2121, 416.2204, 416.2208, 416.2213

and 416.2217—0960–0310. The

information collected on Form SSA–

199–U2 and through these current rules

is used by the Social Security

Administration (SSA) to determine if

State vocational rehabilitation agencies

are providing appropriate services,

including referrals when necessary, and

whether those claims for services

should be paid. The respondents are the

80–100 State vocational rehabilitation

agencies and alternate participants who

offer vocational and employment

services for SSA beneficiaries.

Number of Respondents: 80–100.

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Number of Responses: 16,300.

Average Burden Per Response: Varies

from 23 minutes to 4 hours.

Estimated Annual Burden: 9,048

hours.

2. SSA/DDS Cost-Effectiveness

Measurement System (CEMS) Data

Reporting Form—0960–0384. Form

SSA–1461 is used by SSA to collect data

necessary for detailed analysis and

evaluation of costs incurred by State

Disability Determination Services

(DDS’s) in making determinations of

disability. The data are also used in

determining funding levels for each

DDS. The respondents are State DDS’s

that collect data for cost analysis and

evaluation.

Number of Respondents: 52.

Frequency of Response: 4.

Average Burden Per Response: 6

hours.

Estimated Annual Burden: 1,248

hours.

Social Security Administration,

DCFAM, Attn: Frederick W.

Brickenkamp, 1–A–21 Operations Bldg.,

6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD

21235.

Dated: June 2, 2000.

Frederick W. Brickenkamp,

Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security

Administration.

[FR Doc. 00–14445 Filed 6–7–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4190–29–P

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES

TRADE REPRESENTATIVE

[Docket No. WTO/D–196]

WTO Consultations Regarding

Argentina—Patent and Test Data

Protection

AGENCY: Office of the United States

Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

SUMMARY: The Office of the United

States Trade Representative (USTR) is

providing notice that on May 30, 2000,

the United States requested

consultations with Argentina under the

Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the

World Trade Organization (WTO),

regarding Argentina’s failure to fully

implement its obligations under the

Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of

Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS

Agreement) with respect to its legal

regimes governing patents and data

protection. The United States considers

Argentina’s patent and data protection

regimes to be inconsistent with its

obligations under the TRIPS Agreement,

including Articles 27, 28, 31, 34, 39, 50,

62, 65 and 70 of the Agreement.

Pursuant to Article 4.3 of the WTO

Dispute Settlement Understanding

(DSU), such consultations are to take

place within a period of 30 days from

the date of the request, or within a

period otherwise mutually agreed

between the United States and

Argentina. USTR invites written

comments from the public concerning

the issues raised in this dispute.

DATES: Although USTR will accept any

comments received during the course of

the dispute settlement proceedings,

comments should be submitted on or

before July 28, 2000, to be assured of

timely consideration by USTR.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments to Sandy

McKinzy, Monitoring and Enforcement

Unit, Office of the General Counsel,

Room 122, Office of the United States

Trade Representative, 600 17th Street,

N.W., Washington, D.C. 20508, Attn:

Argentina—Patent and Test Data

Protection Dispute: Telephone: (202)

395–3582.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Stephen Kho, Assistant General

Counsel, Office of the United States

Trade Representative, 600 17th Street,

N.W., Washington, D.C., (202) 395–

3581.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section

127(b) of the Uruguay Round

Agreements Act (URAA) (19 U.S.C.

3537(b)(1)) requires that notice and

opportunity for comment be provided

after the United States submits or

receives a request for the establishment

of a WTO dispute settlement panel.

Consistent with this obligation, but in

an effort to provide additional

opportunity for comment, USTR is

providing notice that consultations have

been requested pursuant to the WTO

Dispute Settlement Understanding. If

such consultations should fail to resolve

the matter and a dispute settlement

panel is established pursuant to the

DSU, such panel, which would hold its

meetings in Geneva, Switzerland, would

be expected to issue a report on its

findings and recommendations within

six to nine months after it is established.

Major Issues Raised by the United

States

On May 6, 1999, the United States

filed a consultation request (WT/DS171/

1) regarding Argentina’s failure to

provide a system of exclusive marketing

rights for pharmaceutical products, and

to ensure that changes in its laws and

regulations do not result in a lesser

degree of consistency with the

provisions of the TRIPS Agreement.

Consultations were held on June 15,

1999 and again on July 27, 1999. On

May 30, 2000, the United States

supplemented its claims in this dispute

with additional concerns that have

arisen as a result of Argentina’s failure

to fully implement its remaining TRIPS

obligations that came due on January 1,

2000. These new concerns relate to

Argentina’s regimes governing patents

in Law 24,481 (as amended by Law

24,572), Law 24,603, and Decree 260/96;

and data protection in Law 24,766 and

Regulation 440/98, and in other related

statutes and regulations. Specifically,