Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 225 / Friday, November 21, 1997 / Proposed Rules 62273

1Securities Act Rel. No. 7438 (Aug. 20, 1997) [62

FR 45359 (Aug. 27, 1997)].

2Letter from Carl B. Wilkerson, Senior Counsel,

American Council of Life Insurance, to Jonathan G.

Katz, Secretary, U.S. Securities and Exchange

Commission (Nov. 3, 1997).

If the U.S. requires the grading of

lambs, and, at the same time, permits

the grading of imported lambs in the

country of origin by officials of that

country, the economic effects of such a

compulsory grading standard on the

exporting country would be lessened. If

this is not permitted, the country would

have to leave the bone ends on the

trotters, a practice which is not routine

at the present time. This would mean a

change in the slaughter technique in the

originating country, an increase of a few

ounces in the shipping weight of each

carcass, and an increased cost of having

each imported carcass graded at

producer expense by U.S. Department of

Agriculture personnel. It appears that

such mandatory grading would not

materially affect the number of imported

lambs, since imported lambs tend to be

younger than domestic ones at time of

slaughter. Under a required grading

program, domestic stock would also

have to be graded and some domestic

producers may consider this an

undesirable requirement.

Any further information on these or

other economic or regulatory impacts

would be welcome. If there are related

issues not mentioned, but relevant, any

information or comments on such issues

should also be submitted for evaluation.

Done at Washington, D.C., on November

14, 1997.

Thomas J. Billy,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 97–30569 Filed 11–20–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE

COMMISSION

17 CFR Part 230

[Release No. 33–7476; File No. S7–22–97]

RIN 3235–AH23

Equity Index Insurance Products

AGENCY: Securities and Exchange

Commission.

ACTION: Concept release; extension of

comment period.

SUMMARY: The Commission is extending

from November 20, 1997, to January 5,

1998, the comment period for Securities

Act Release No. 7438 (Aug. 20, 1997), 62

FR 45359 (Aug. 27, 1997). This release

requested public comment on the

structure of equity index insurance

products, the manner in which they are

marketed, and any other matters the

Commission should consider in

addressing federal securities law issues

raised by equity index insurance

products.

DATES: Comments must be received on

or before January 5, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be

submitted in triplicate to Jonathan G.

Katz, Secretary, Securities and Exchange

Commission, 450 Fifth Street, N.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20549–6009.

Comments also may be submitted

electronically at the following E-mail

address: rule-comments@sec.gov. All

comment letters should refer to File No.

S7–22–97; this file number should be

included on the subject line if E-mail is

used. All comments received will be

available for public inspection and

copying in the Commission’s Public

Reference Room, 450 Fifth Street, N.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20549–6009.

Electronically submitted comments will

also be posted on the Commission’s

internet site (http://www.sec.gov).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Megan L. Dunphy, Attorney, (202) 942-

0670, Office of Insurance Products,

Division of Investment Management,

Securities and Exchange Commission,

450 Fifth Street, N.W., Mail Stop 10–6,

Washington, D.C. 20549–6009.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August

20, 1997, the Commission issued a

concept release soliciting comment on

the structure of equity index insurance

products, the manner in which they are

marketed, and any other matters the

Commission should consider in

addressing federal securities law issues

raised by equity index insurance

products.1 The Commission requested

that comments on the release be

received by November 20, 1997.

In a letter dated November 3, 1997,

the American Council of Life Insurance

(‘‘ACLI’’) requested a 45-day extension

of time within which to comment on the

concept release.2 The ACLI requested

the extension to provide an opportunity

for careful analysis and constructive

comment on the release.

To permit additional time for careful

analysis and constructive comment, and

in light of the importance of comments

on this subject, the Commission believes

that a 45-day extension of the comment

period is appropriate. Therefore, the

comment period for responding to

Securities Act Release No. 7438 is

extended to January 5, 1998.

November 17, 1997.

By the Commission.

Margaret H. McFarland,

Deputy Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–30629 Filed 11–20–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8010–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation

and Enforcement

30 CFR Part 920

[MD–042–FOR]

Maryland Regulatory Program

AGENCY: Office of Surface Mining

Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM),

Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; public comment

period and opportunity for public

hearing.

SUMMARY: OSM is announcing receipt of

proposed amendments to the Maryland

regulatory program (hereinafter the

‘‘Maryland program’’) under the Surface

Mining Control and Reclamation Act of

1977 (SMCRA). The proposed

amendments consist of revision to the

Maryland regulations regarding a

reduced bond liability period for lands

remined. The amendments are intended

to revise the Maryland program to be

consistent with the corresponding

Federal regulations.

DATES: Written comments must be

received by 4:00 p.m., E.S.T., December

22, 1997. If requested, a public hearing

on the proposed amendment will be

held on December 16, 1997. Requests to

speak at the hearing must be received by

4:00 p.m., E.S.T., on December 8, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and

requests to speak at the hearing should

be mailed or hand delivered to George

Rieger, Field Branch Chief, at the

address listed below.

Copies of the Maryland program, the

proposed amendment, a listing of any

scheduled public hearings, and all

written comments received in response

to this document will be available for

public review at the addresses listed

below during normal business hours,

Monday through Friday, excluding

holidays. Each requester may receive

one free copy of the proposed

amendment by contacting OSM’s

Appalachian Regional Coordinating

Center.

George Rieger, Field Branch Chief,

Appalachian Regional Coordinating

Center, Office of Surface Mining

Reclamation and Enforcement, 3

Parkway Center, Pittsburgh PA 15220

Telephone: (412) 937–2153
62274 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 225 / Friday, November 21, 1997 / Proposed Rules

Maryland Bureau of Mines, 160 South

Water Street, Frostburg, Maryland

21532, Telephone: (301) 689–4132.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

George Rieger, Field Branch Chief,

Appalachian Regional Coordinating

Center, Telephone: (412) 937–2153.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background on the Maryland

Program

On February 18, 1982, the Secretary of

the Interior approved the Maryland

program. Background information on

the Maryland program, including the

Secretary’s findings, the disposition of

comments, and the conditions of

approval can be found in the February

18, 1982, Federal Register (47 FR 7214).

Subsequent actions concerning the

conditions of approval and program

amendments can be found at 30 CFR

920.15 and 920.16.

II. Description of the Proposed

Amendment

Maryland provided and informal

amendment to OSM regarding a reduced

bond liability period for land remined

in a letter dated August 18, 1996. OSM

completed its review of the informal

amendment and submitted comments to

Maryland in a letter dated August 4,

1997. By letter dated October 9, 1997

(Administrative Record No. MD–579–

00), Maryland submitted its response to

OSM’s comments in the form of a

proposed amendment to its program

pursuant to SMCRA.

The provisions of the Code of

Maryland Regulations (COMAR) that

Maryland proposes to amend are as

follows:

1. COMAR 26.20.01.02B Definitions

Specifically, Maryland proposes to

delete the existing definition at (49),

‘‘keyway,’’ and add a new definition at

(49) as follows:

‘‘Lands eligible for remining’’ means

any land that would otherwise be

eligible for expenditures under

Environment Article. Title 15, Subtitle

11, Annotated Code of Marland.

2. COMAR 26.20.14.05 Duration of

Performance Bonds

Paragraph B. is modified by adding to

the opening phrase, ‘‘except on lands

eligible for remining,’’ and new

paragraph C. is added as follows:

On lands eligible for remining

included in permits issued before

September 30, 2004, or any later date

authorized by the federal Surface

Mining Control and Reclamation Act, or

any renewal thereof, the period of

liability for a bond shall continue for a

period of not less than 2 full years,

beginning with the last year of

augmented seeding, fertilizing,

irrigation, or other work. The period of

liability shall begin again when

augmented seeding, fertilizing,

irrigation or other work is ordered by

the Bureau to correct a failure to

maintain the permanent vegetative

cover required under COMAR 08.20.29

on the site.

Existing paragraph C. is re-lettered as

D. and the 5-year reference is deleted.

3. COMAR 26.20.14.08. Criteria and

Schedule for Release of Performance

Bond

Existing paragraph D.(2) is deleted

and new paragraph D.(2) is added as

follows:

For acreage on which Reclamation

Phase II has been completed and for

which a bond release application has

been submitted, an amount of bond not

to exceed 50 percent of the per acre rate

submitted in accordance with

Regulation .03D of this chapter may be

released;

Existing paragraph D.(3) is deleted

and new paragraph D.(3) is added a

follows:

For acreage on which Reclamation

Phase III has been completed and for

which a bond release application has

been submitted, the remaining amount

of bond equal to 50 percent of the per

acre rate submitted in accordance with

Regulation .03D of this chapter may be

released;

New paragraph D.(4) is added as

follows:

On lands eligible for remining, for

acreage on which Reclamation Phases II

and III have been completed and for

which a bond release application has

been submitted, bond in the amount of

the per acre rate submitted in

accordance with Regulation .03D of this

chapter may be released.

4. COMAR 26.20.29.07. Standards for

Success

Existing paragraph B.(8) is revised by

adding the phrase ‘‘except on lands

eligible for remining as provided in

§B.(9) of this regulation.’’

New paragraph B.(9) is added as

follows:

On lands eligible for remining

included in permits issued before

September 30, 2004, or on any later date

authorized by the federal Surface

Mining Control ad Reclamation Act, or

any renewal thereof, the period of

responsibility shall continue for a

period of not less than 2 full years.

New paragraph C. is added as follows:

On lands eligible for remining

included in any permit, the lands shall

equal or exceed the standards for

success during the growing season of

the last year of the responsibility period

of §B(9) of this regulation.

5. COMAR 08.20.14.14 Release of Bonds

on Remining Areas

Maryland proposed to add, and the

Office Of Surface Mining approved, this

section as published in the Federal

Register (61 FR 12028) dated March 25,

1996. However, Maryland subsequently

chose not to promulgate this regulation.

Instead, Maryland now proposes the

changes enumerated in Items 1. through

4. above.

III. Public Comments Procedures

In accordance with the provisions of

30 CFR 732.17(h), OSM is seeking

comments on whether the proposed

amendment satisfies the applicable

program approval criteria of 30 CFR

732.15. If the amendment is deemed

adequate, it will become part of the

Maryland program.

Written Comments

Written comments should be specific,

pertain only to the issues proposed in

this rulemaking, and include

explanations in support of the

commenter’s recommendations.

Comments received after the time

indicated under ‘‘DATES’’ or at

locations other than the Appalachian

Regional Coordinating Center will not

necessarily be considered in the final

rulemaking or included in the

Administrative Record.

Public Hearing

Persons wishing to speak at the public

hearing should contact the person listed

under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT by 4:00 p.m., E.S.T. December

8, 1997. The location and time of the

hearing will be arranged with those

persons requesting the hearing. If no one

requests an opportunity to speak at the

public hearing, the hearing will not be

held.

Filing of a written statement at the

time of the hearing is requested as it

will greatly assist the transcriber.

Submission of written statements in

advance of the hearing will allow OSM

officials to prepare adequate responses

and appropriate questions.

The public hearing will continue on

the specified date until all persons

scheduled to speak have been heard.

Persons in the audience who have not

been scheduled to speak, and who wish

to do so, will be heard following those

who have been scheduled. The hearing

will end after all persons scheduled to

speak and persons present in the
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 225 / Friday, November 21, 1997 / Proposed Rules 62275

audience who wish to speak have been

heard.

Any disabled individual who has

need for special accommodation to

attend a public hearing should contact

the individual listed under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT.

Public Meeting

If only one person requests an

opportunity to speak at a hearing, a

public meeting, rather than a public

hearing, may be held. Persons wishing

to meet with OSM representatives to

discuss the proposed amendment may

request a meeting by contacting the

person listed under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT. All such meetings

will be open to the public and, if

possible, notices of meetings will be

posted at the locations listed under

ADDRESSES. A written summary of each

meeting will be made a part of the

Administrative Record.

IV. Procedural Determinations

Executive Order 12866

This rule is exempted from review by

the Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) under Executive Order 12866

(Regulatory Planning and Review).

Executive Order 12988

The Department of the Interior has

conducted the reviews required by

section 3 of Executive Order 12988

(Civil Justice Reform) and has

determined that, to the extent allowed

by law, this rule meets the applicable

standards of subsections (a) and (b) of

that section. However, these standards

are not applicable to the actual language

of State regulatory programs and

program amendments since each such

program is drafted and promulgated by

a specific State, not by OSM. Under

sections 503 and 505 of SMCRA (30

U.S.C. 1253 and 1255) and 30 CFR

730.11, 732.15, and 732.17(h)(10),

decisions on proposed State regulatory

programs and program amendments

submitted by the States must be based

solely on a determination of whether the

submittal is consistent with SMCRA and

its implementing Federal regulations

and whether the other requirements of

30 CFR Parts 730, 731, and 732 have

been met.

National Environmental Policy Act

No environmental impact statement is

required for this rule since section

702(d) of SMCRA (30 U.S.C. 1292(d)

provides that agency decisions on

proposed State regulatory program

provisions do not constitute major

Federal actions within the meaning of

section 102(2)(C) of the National

Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C.

4332(2)(C)).

Paperwork Reduction Act

This rule does not contain

information collection requirements that

require approval by OMB under the

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.

3507 et seq.).

Regulatory Flexibility Act

The Department of the Interior has

determined that this rule will not have

a significant economic impact on a

substantial number of small entities

under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5

U.S.C. 601 et seq.). The State submittal

which is the subject of this rule is based

upon counterpart Federal regulations for

which an economic analysis was

prepared and certification made that

such regulations would not have a

significant economic effect upon a

substantial number of small entities.

Accordingly, this rule will ensure that

existing requirements previously

promulgated by OSM will be

implemented by the State. In making the

determination as to whether this rule

would have a significant economic

impact, the Department relied upon the

data and assumptions for the

counterpart Federal regulations.

Unfunded Mandates

This rule will not impose a cost of

$100 million or more in any given year

on any governmental entity or the

private sector.

List of Subjects in 30 CFR Part 920

Intergovernmental relations, Surface

mining, Underground mining.

Dated: November 14, 1997.

Tim L. Dieringer,

Acting Regional Director, Appalachian

Regional Coordinating Center.

[FR Doc. 97–30598 Filed 11–20–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–05–M

ARCHITECTURAL AND

TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS

COMPLIANCE BOARD

36 CFR Parts 1190 and 1191

Accessibility Guidelines for Outdoor

Developed Areas; Meeting of

Regulatory Negotiation Committee

AGENCY: Architectural and

Transportation Barriers Compliance

Board.

ACTION: Regulatory negotiation

committee meeting.

SUMMARY: The Architectural and

Transportation Barriers Compliance

Board (Access Board) has established a

regulatory negotiation committee to

develop a proposed rule on accessibility

guidelines for newly constructed and

altered outdoor developed areas covered

by the Americans with Disabilities Act

and the Architectural Barriers Act. This

document announces the dates, times,

and location of the next meeting of the

committee, which is open to the public.

DATES: The committee will meet on:

Sunday, December 14, 1997, 2:00 p.m.

to 6:00 p.m.; Monday, December 15,

1997, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and

Tuesday, December 16, 1997, 8:30 a.m.

to 5:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The committee will meet at

the Wyndham Sea Tac Hotel, 18118

Pacific Highway South, Seattle,

Washington.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Peggy Greenwell, Office of Technical

and Information Services, Architectural

and Transportation Barriers Compliance

Board, 1331 F Street, NW., suite 1000,

Washington, DC, 20004–1111.

Telephone number (202) 272–5434

extension 34 (Voice); (202) 272–5449

(TTY). This document is available in

alternate formats (cassette tape, braille,

large print, or computer disc) upon

request. This document is also available

on the Board’s web site (http://

www.access-board.gov/rules/

outdoor.htm).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In June

1997, the Access Board established a

regulatory negotiation committee to

develop a proposed rule on accessibility

guidelines for newly constructed and

altered outdoor developed areas covered

by the Americans with Disabilities Act

and the Architectural Barriers Act. (62

FR 30546, June 4, 1997). The committee

will hold its next meeting on the dates

and at the location announced above.

The meeting is open to the public. The

meeting site is accessible to individuals

with disabilities. Individuals with

hearing impairments who require sign

language interpreters should contact

Peggy Greenwell by December 1, 1997,

by calling (202) 272–5434 extension 34

(voice) or (202) 272–5449 (TTY).

Lawrence W. Roffee,

Executive Director.

[FR Doc. 97–30652 Filed 11–20–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8150–01–P