69118 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 221 / Wednesday, November 15, 2000 / Notices

6Pursuant to statutory amendments made by

Public Law 99-643, effective July 1, 1987, the trial

work period provisions no longer apply to title XVI

disability claims. Beginning July 1, 1987, a disabled

individual, who was eligible to receive ‘‘regular’’

SSI benefits under section 1611 of the Act (or a

federally administered State supplementary

payment) for a month and subsequently has

earnings ordinarily considered to represent

substantial gainful activity, will move directly to

section 1619 status rather than be accorded a trial

work period. This Ruling extends to such

individuals, i.e., a claim for title XVI benefits based

on disability should be allowed and the claimant

granted section 1619 status if the claimant would

otherwise be eligible for section 1619 status and the

same conditions set out above for title II claims

based on disability are met.

(1) the claimant establishes that, at the

time he or she returned to work and

thereafter, the impairment was still

expected to last for at least 12

consecutive months from the date of

onset;

(2) the claimant returns to work after

the waiting period (if a waiting period

is applicable) but within the 12-month

period following the established onset

date; and

(3) the return to work demonstrating

an ability to engage in substantial

gainful activity occurs either before or

after approval of the award.

A claim for title XVI benefits based on

disability in which the claimant returns

to work within 12 months of the

established onset date of an impairment

which could otherwise be the basis for

a finding of disability should be allowed

and the claimant granted section 1619

status 6 if the following conditions are

met:

(1) The claimant establishes that, at

the time he or she returned to work and

thereafter, the impairment was still

expected to last for at least 12

consecutive months from the date of

onset;

(2) The claimant returns to work in a

month subsequent to the month of

established onset but within the 12-

month period following the established

onset date;

(3) The claimant is eligible to receive

‘‘regular’’ SSI benefits under section

1611 of the Act (or a federally

administered State supplementary

payment) based on the impairment

(disregarding the effect the claimant’s

return to work within 12 months after

the date of onset would otherwise have

on eligibility for such benefits or

payment) for at least 1 month in the

period preceding the month in which he

or she returns to work;

(4) The claimant meets all other

nondisability requirements for section

1619 status; and

(5) The return to work demonstrating

an ability to engage in substantial

gainful activity occurs either before or

after approval of the award.

[FR Doc. 00-29191 Filed 11-14-00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4190-29

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice No. 3466]

Shipping Coordinating Committee;

Notice of Meeting

The Shipping Coordinating

Committee will conduct an open

meeting at 9 a.m. on Monday, December

11, 2000, in Room 6319, at U.S. Coast

Guard Headquarters, 2100 Second

Street, SW., Washington, DC 20593–

0001. This meeting will discuss the

upcoming 44th Session of the

Subcommittee on Stability and Load

Lines and on Fishing Vessels Safety

(SLF) and associated bodies of the

International Maritime Organization

(IMO) which will be held on September

17–21, 2001, at the IMO Headquarters in

London, England.

Items of discussion will include the

following:

a. Review of results from the previous

Session (SLF 43),

b. Harmonization of damage stability

provisions in the IMO instruments,

c. Revision of technical regulations of

the 1966 International Load Line

Convention,

d. Revisions to the Fishing Vessel

Safety Code and Voluntary Guidelines.

Members of the public may attend

this meeting up to the seating capacity

of the room. Interested persons may

seek information by writing: Mr. Paul

Cojeen, U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters,

Commandant (G–MSE–2), Room 1308,

2100 Second Street, SW., Washington,

DC 20593–0001 or by calling (202) 267–

2988.

Dated: November 8, 2000.

Stephen Miller,

Executive Secretary, Shipping Coordinating

Committee.

[FR Doc. 00–29244 Filed 11–14–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710–07–P

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice No. 3467]

Shipping Coordinating Committee;

Notice of Meeting

The Shipping Coordinating

Committee will conduct an open

meeting at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday,

December 14, 2000, in Room 6103 of the

U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100

2nd Street SW, Washington, DC 20593–

0001. The purpose of the meeting is to

finalize preparations for the 32nd

Session of the International Maritime

Organization (IMO) Sub-Committee on

Standards of Training and

Watchkeeping, which is scheduled for

January 22 to 26, 2001, at IMO

Headquarters in London. At this

meeting, papers received and the draft

U.S. positions will be discussed.

Among other things, the items of

particular interest are:

— Training and certification of maritime

pilots

— Unlawful practices associated with

certificates of competency (i.e., forged

certificates)

— Standard Marine Communication

Phrases

— Training in the use of Electronic

Chart Display and Information

Systems

— Guidance for training in ballast water

management

— Guidance for ships operating in icecovered waters

— Validation of an IMO model course

on assessment of competence

— Guidance associated with the

International Convention on

Standards of Training,

Certification and Watchkeeping for

Fishing Vessel Personnel Convention, as

adopted by the 1995 conference; not yet

ratified or in force.

Members of the public may attend the

meeting up to the seating capacity of the

room. Interested persons may seek

information by writing: LCDR Luke

Harden, Commandant (G–MSO–1), U.S.

Coast Guard Headquarters, Room 1210,

2100 2nd Street SW., Washington, DC

20593–0001 or by calling (202) 267–

0229.

Dated: November 8, 2000.

Stephen Miller,

Executive Secretary Shipping Coordinating

Committee.

[FR Doc. 00–29245 Filed 11–14–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4210–07–P

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES

TRADE REPRESENTATIVE

[Docket No. WTO/DS–58]

WTO Dispute Settlement Proceeding

Regarding Section 609 of Public Law

101–162 Relating to the Protection of

Sea Turtles in Shrimp Trawl Fishing

Operations

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 the government of

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 221 / Wednesday, November 15, 2000 / Notices 69119

Malaysia has requested the

establishment of a dispute a settlement

panel under the Marrakesh Agreement

Establishing the World Trade

Organization (WTO) to examine

whether the United States has

implemented the recommendations and

rulings of the WTO Dispute Settlement

Body (DSB) in a dispute involving

import restrictions under section 609 of

Public Law 101–162 (Section 609).

Section 609 is intended to promote the

conservation of endangered sea turtle

species by restricting the importation of

shrimp and shrimp products harvested

by methods harmful to sea turtles.

Interested persons are invited to submit

written comments concerning the issues

raised in the dispute.

DATES: Although USTR will accept any

submissions received during the course

of the dispute settlement proceedings,

comments should be submitted on or

before November 30, 2000 to be assured

of timely consideration by USTR in

preparing its first written submission to

the panel.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be

submitted to Sandy McKinzy,

Monitoring and Enforcement Unit,

Office of the General Counsel, Room

122, Office of the United States Trade

Representative, 600 17th Street, NW.,

Washington, DC 20508, Attn: Dispute

Regarding U.S. Sea Turtle Conservation

Law. Telephone: (202) 395–3582.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kira

Alvarez, Director for Marine Resources

and Regional Affairs, (202) 395–7320, or

William Busis, Associate General

Counsel, (202) 395–3150. For questions

concerning the operation of U.S. import

restrictions under Section 609, please

contact David Hogan, Office of Marine

Conservation, Bureau of Oceans and

International Environmental and

Scientific Affairs, Department of State,

Washington DC, telephone number

(202) 647–2335.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Prior WTO Proceedings

On November 6, 1998, the WTO DSB

adopted the reports of a dispute

settlement panel and the WTO

Appellate Body in a case brought by

India, Malaysia, Pakistan and Thailand

challenging U.S. restrictions on shrimp

imports under section 609. The

Appellate Body report found that

section 609 itself was not inconsistent

with U.S. obligations under the WTO

Agreement and was, in fact, covered by

the WTO provision relating to the

conservation of exhaustible natural

resources. At the same time, however,

the Appellate Body report found that

certain aspects of the manner in which

section 609 was being implemented, in

their cumulative effect, were

inconsistent with U.S. obligations under

the WTO Agreement. The Appellate

Body report recommended that the

United States revise its implementation

of section 609 accordingly.

At the time the dispute settlement

panel was established, USTR published

a notice inviting public comments on

the issues in the dispute. See 62 FR

13,934 (March 24, 1997). The dispute

settlement panel and Appellate Body

reports are publicly available in the

USTR reading room and on the WTO

web site (www.wto.org).

U.S. Implementation

In November 1998, and after

consultations with Congress and other

stakeholders, the United States notified

the DSB that the United States intended

to implement the recommendations and

rulings of the DSB in a manner which

is consistent not only with U.S. WTO

obligations, but also with the firm

commitment of the United States to the

protection of endangered sea turtles.

The United States and the other

parties to the dispute reached agreement

on 13 months as a reasonable period for

implementation. The 13-month period

ended in December 1999.

In March 1999, the Department of

State, which administers section 609,

published a notice summarizing steps

being taken to implement the DSB

recommendations and rulings, and

requesting comments on proposed

revisions to the guidelines used for

making certifications under section 609.

See 64 FR 14,481 (March 25, 1999). In

July 1999, the Department of State

published a notice reviewing and

responding to the comments received on

its March 1999 notice, and setting forth

revised section 609 guidelines. See 64

FR 36,946 (July 8, 1999).

In January 2000, the United States

informed the DSB that the United States

had implemented the recommendations

and rulings of the DSB during the 13-

month implementation period. The

United States explained that the

implementation steps had both

responded to the issues raised by the

Appellate Body report, and—with the

cooperation of the countries in the

Indian Ocean region—had advanced

efforts to conserve endangered sea

turtles. Those implementation steps

included the revisions to the

Department of State guidelines, efforts

to negotiate an agreement with the

governments of the Indian Ocean region

on the protection of sea turtles, and

renewed offers of technical training in

sea turtle conservation measures.

Article 21.5 Proceeding

On October 23, 2000, the Government

of Malaysia—one of the four

complaining parties in the prior WTO

proceeding—requested that the DSB

establish a panel under Article 21.5 of

the WTO Understanding on Rules and

Procedures Governing the Settlement of

Disputes (DSU) to examine whether the

United States had implemented the

recommendations and rulings of the

DSB. Malaysia is claiming that

implementation of the DSB

recommendations and rulings required

the U.S. to remove the import

restrictions imposed under section 609.

The DSB has established a dispute

settlement panel to consider Malaysia’s

claim. As provided under the DSU, the

panel is composed of the same members

as in the prior proceeding. The panel is

scheduled to issue its report in midMarch, 2001. Pursuant to an

understanding between the United

States and Malaysia, either party may

request that the WTO Appellate Body

review the report of the dispute

settlement panel.

The European Communities and the

governments of Japan, Ecuador,

Australia, India, Thailand, Canada,

Mexico, Pakistan, and Hong Kong,

China have indicated their interest to

participate in the dispute as third

parties.

Invitation for Comments

Interested persons are invited to

submit written comments concerning

the issues raised in the dispute.

Comments must be in English and

provided in fifteen copies. A person

requesting that information contained in

a comment submitted by that person be

treated as confidential business

information must certify that such

information is business confidential and

would not customarily be released to

the public by the commenter.

Confidential business information must

be clearly marked ‘‘BUSINESS

CONFIDENTIAL’’ in a contrasting color

ink at the top of each page of each copy.

Information or advice contained in a

comment submitted, other than business

confidential information, may be

determined by USTR to be confidential

in accordance with section 135(g)(2) of

the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C.

2155(g)(2)). If the submitter believes that

information or advice may qualify as

such, the submitter—

(1) Must so designate the information

or advice;

(2) Must clearly mark the material as

‘‘SUBMITTED IN CONFIDENCE’’ in a

contrasting color ink at the top of each

page of each copy; and

69120 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 221 / Wednesday, November 15, 2000 / Notices

(3) Is encouraged to provide a nonconfidential summary of the

information or advice.

Pursuant to section 127(e) of the

URAA (19 U.S.C. 3537(e)), USTR

maintains a file on this dispute

settlement proceeding, accessible to the

public, in the USTR Reading Room:

Room 101, Office of the United States

Trade Representative, 600 17th Street,

NW., Washington, DC 20508. The public

file includes a listing of any comments

received by USTR from the public with

respect to the dispute; the U.S.

submissions to the panel; the

submissions, or non-confidential

summaries of submissions, to the panel

received from other participants in the

dispute; as well as the reports of the

panel and the Appellate Body. An

appointment to review the public file

(Docket WTO/DS–58, U.S. Sea Turtle

Conservation Law) may be made by

calling Brenda Webb, (202) 395–6186.

The USTR Reading Room is open to the

public from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 1

p.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

A. Jane Bradley,

Assistant United States Trade Representative

for Monitoring and Enforcement.

[FR Doc. 00–29241 Filed 11–14–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3190–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

Aviation Proceedings, Agreements

Filed During the Week Ending October

20, 2000

The following Agreements were filed

with the Department of Transportation

under the provisions of 49 U.S.C.

Sections 412 and 414. Answers may be

filed within 21 days after the filing of

the application.

Docket Number: OST–2000–8113.

Date Filed: October 17, 2000.

Parties: Members of the International

Air Transport Association.

Subject: CTC COMP 0314 dated 13

October 2000, Resolution 033f—Local

Currency Rate Changes—Pakistan,

Intended effective date: 16 October

2000.

Docket Number: OST–2000–8120.

Date Filed: October 18, 2000.

Parties: Members of the International

Air Transport Association.

Subject: PTC COMP 0695 (Re-issue)

dated 6 October 2000, Mail Vote 088—

Resolution 010j, Special Passenger

Amending Resolution to/from Cyprus,

Intended effective date: 1 January 2001.

Docket Number: OST–2000–8130.

Date Filed: October 18, 2000.

Parties: Members of the International

Air Transport Association.

Subject: PTC COMP 0706 dated 17

October 2000, Mail Vote 091—

Resolution 024d (Amending), Currency

Names, Codes, Rounding Units and

Acceptability of Currencies, Intended

effective date: 1 December 2000.

Docket Number: OST–2000–8166.

Date Filed: October 20, 2000.

Parties: Members of the International

Air Transport Association.

Subject: PTC23 EUR–JK 0059 dated 3

October 2000, Europe-Japan/Korea

Resolutions r1–r–48, Technical

Correction PTC23 EUR–JK 0060 dated

10 October 2000, Minutes—PTC23

EUR–JK 0061 dated 13 October 2000,

Tables—PTC23 EUR–JK FARES 0023

dated 6 October 2000, Intended effective

date: 1 April 2001.

Docket Number: OST–2000–8167.

Date Filed: October 20, 2000.

Parties: Members of the International

Air Transport Association.

Subject: PTC23 EUR–SWP 0048 dated

13 October 2000, Europe-South West

Pacific Resolutions r1–r23, Minutes—

PTC23 EUR–SWP 0045 dated 3 October

2000, Tables—PTC23 EUR–SWP FARES

0019 dated 17 October 2000, Intended

effective date: 1 April 2001.

Dorothy Y. Beard,

Federal Register Liaison.

[FR Doc. 00–29234 Filed 11–14–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–62–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

Aviation Proceedings, Agreements

Filed During the Week Ending October

27, 2000

The following Agreements were filed

with the Department of Transportation

under the provisions of 49 U.S.C. 412

and 414. Answers may be filed within

21 days after the filing of the

application.

Docket Number: OST–2000–8204.

Date Filed: October 27, 2000.

Parties: Members of the International

Air Transport Association.

Subject: PTC23 AFR–TC3 0108 dated

10 October 2000, TC23/TC123 Africa–

TC3 Resolutions r1–r43, PTC23 AFR–

TC3 0110 dated 20 October 2000,

Technical Correction, Minutes—PTC23

AFR–TC3 0109 dated 20 October 2000,

Tables—PTC23 AFR–TC3 FARES 0048

dated 20 October 2000, Intended

effective date: 1 April 2001.

Docket Number: OST–2000–8205.

Date Filed: October 27, 2000.

Parties: Members of the International

Air Transport Association.

Subject: PTC23 ME–TC3 0104 dated 3

October 2000, TC23/TC123 Middle

East–TC3 Resolutions r1–r52, Minutes—

PTC23 ME–TC3 0105 dated 27 October

2000, Tables—PTC23 ME–TC3 FARES

0045 dated 10 October 2000, Intended

effective date: 1 April 2001.

Docket Number: OST–2000–8208.

Date Filed: October 27, 2000.

Parties: Members of the International

Air Transport Association.

Subject: PTC1 0166 dated 27 October

2000, Mail Vote 092—Resolution 010k,

TC1 Caribbean Special Passenger

Amending Resolution, Intended

effective date: 15 November 2000.

Dorothy Y. Beard,

Federal Register Liaison.

[FR Doc. 00–29236 Filed 11–14–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–62–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

Aviation Proceedings, Agreements

Filed During the Week Ending

November 3, 2000

The following Agreements were filed

with the Department of Transportation

under the provisions of 49 U.S.C. 412

and 414. Answers may be filed within

21 days after the filing of the

application.

Docket Number: OST–2000–8213.

Date Filed: October 31, 2000.

Parties: Members of the International

Air Transport Association.

Subject: PTC123 0116 dated 27

October 2000 (r—1–6), PTC123 0117

dated 27 October 2000 (r—7–9), TC123

North Atlantic Expedited Resolutions,

Intended effective dates: 1 December

2000/1 January 2001.

Docket Number: OST–2000–8214.

Date Filed: October 31, 2000.

Parties: Members of the International

Air Transport Association.

Subject: PTC123 0118/0119/0120/

0121 dated 27 October 2000, TC123

Mid/South Atlantic Resolutions,

Intended effective dates: 1 December

2000/1 January 2001.

Docket Number: OST–2000–8244.

Date Filed: November 3, 2000.

Parties: Members of the International

Air Transport Association.

Subject: PTC COMP 0718 dated 3

November 2000, Mail Vote 093—

Resolution 010h, Special Passenger

Currency Conversion Resolution—euro,

Intended effective date: 1 January 2001.

Dorothy Y. Beard,

Federal Register Liaison.

[FR Doc. 00–29237 Filed 11–14–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–62–P