Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 52 / Tuesday, March 18, 1997 / Notices 12883

4. Set strategic priorities within and

between each cluster;

5. Select projects (research, field

operational tests, targeted model

deployments) to reduce the unknowns

within each cluster, meet the goals,

objectives and strategic priorities, and

stay within budget allocations for each

fiscal year; and

6. Evaluate progress and update both

the Strategic Plan and Program Plan

during each budget cycle (Performance

Feed Forward).

(23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48)

Issued on: March 7, 1997.

Jane F. Garvey,

Acting Administrator, Federal Highway

Administration.

[FR Doc. 97–6738 Filed 3–17–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P

Surface Transportation Board

[Docket No. AB–433X]

Idaho Northern & Pacific Railroad

Company; Abandonment Exemption in

Wallowa and Union Counties, OR

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board—

DOT.

ACTION: Notice of exemption.

SUMMARY: The ICC Termination Act of

1995, Pub. L. No. 104–88, 109 Stat. 803

(the ICCTA), which was enacted on

December 29, 1995, and took effect on

January 1, 1996, abolished the Interstate

Commerce Commission (ICC) and

transferred certain functions and

proceedings to the Surface

Transportation Board (Board). Section

204(b)(1) of the ICCTA provides, in

general, that proceedings pending before

the ICC on the effective date of that

legislation shall be decided under the

law in effect prior to January 1, 1996,

insofar as they involve functions

retained by the ICCTA. This decision

relates to a proceeding that was pending

with the ICC prior to January 1, 1996,

and to functions that are subject to

Board jurisdiction pursuant to 49 U.S.C.

10903. Therefore, this decision applies

the law in effect prior to the ICCTA, and

citations are to the former sections of

the statute, unless otherwise indicated.

The Board, under 49 U.S.C. 10505

exempts from the prior approval

requirements of 49 U.S.C. 10903–04, the

abandonment by Idaho Northern &

Pacific Railroad Company of a 60.58-

mile portion of its Joseph Branch line,

in Wallowa and Union Counties, OR,

subject to standard labor protective

conditions and environmental

conditions.

DATES: Provided no formal expression of

intent to file an offer of financial

assistance (OFA) has been received, this

exemption will be effective April 17,

1997. Formal expressions of intent to

file an OFA under 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2)

must be filed by March 28, 1997;

petitions to stay must be filed April 2,

1997; requests for a public use condition

in conformity with 49 CFR 1152.28(a)(2)

must be filed by April 7, 1997; and

petitions to reopen must be filed by

April 14, 1997.

ADDRESSES: An original and 10 copies of

all pleadings referring to Docket No.

AB–433X must be filed with: Surface

Transportation Board, Office of the

Secretary, Case Control Unit, 1925 K

Street, NW., Washington, DC 20423–

0001. In addition, a copy of all

pleadings must be served on petitioner’s

representative: Robert A. Wimbish, 1920

N Street, NW., Washington, DC 20036.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Beryl Gordon, (202) 565–1600. [TDD for

the hearing impared: (202) 565–1695.]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Additional information is contained in

the Board’s decision. To purchase a

copy of the full decision, write to, call

or pick up in person from: DC News &

Data, Inc., 1925 K Street, NW., Suite

210, Washington, DC 20006 [Telephone:

(202) 289–4357]. [Assistance for the

hearing impaired is available through

TDD services (202) 565–1695.]

Decided: March 12, 1997.

By the Board, Chairman Morgan and Vice

Chairman Owen.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–6741 Filed 3–17–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Submission to OMB for Review;

Comment Request

March 10, 1997.

The Department of Treasury has

submitted the following public

information collection requirement(s) to

OMB for review and clearance under the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,

Public Law 104–13. Copies of the

submission(s) may be obtained by

calling the Treasury Bureau Clearance

Officer listed. Comments regarding this

information collection should be

addressed to the OMB reviewer listed

and to the Treasury Department

Clearance Officer, Department of the

Treasury, Room 2110, 1425 New York

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20220.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

OMB Number: 1545–1380.

Regulation ID Number: IA–17–90

(Final).

Type of Review: Extension.

Title: Reporting Requirements for

Recipients of Points Paid on Residential

Mortgages.

Description: To encourage compliance

with the tax laws relating to the

mortgage interest deduction, the

regulations require the reporting on

Form 1098 of points paid on residential

mortgages. Only businesses that receive

mortgage interest in the course of a trade

or business are affected by this reporting

requirement.

Respondents: Business or other forprofit.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

37,644.

Estimated Burden Hours Per

Respondent: 7 hours, 31 minutes.

Frequency of Response: Annually.

Estimated Total Reporting Burden:

283,056 hours.

Clearance Officer: Garrick Shear,

(202) 622–3869, Internal Revenue

Service, Room 5571, 1111 Constitution

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20224.

OMB Reviewer: Alexander T. Hunt,

(202) 395–7860, Office of Management

and Budget, Room 10226, New

Executive Office Building, Washington,

DC 20503.

Dale A. Morgan,

Departmental Reports Management Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–6791 Filed 3–17–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4830–01–P

Office of the Comptroller of the

Currency

[Docket No. 97–01]

Preemption Determination

AGENCY: Office of the Comptroller of the

Currency, Treasury.

ACTION: Reopening of comment period.

SUMMARY: The Office of the Comptroller

of the Currency (OCC) is reopening the

public comment period on the OCC’s

notice and request for comment

regarding a request it has received for a

preemption determination regarding

certain provisions of the Rhode Island

Financial Institution Insurance Sales

Act.

DATES: Comments must be received by

May 15, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to

the Communications Division, 250 E

Street, SW, Third Floor, Washington,

DC 20219. Attention Docket No. 97–01.

In addition, comments may be sent by

facsimile transmission to FAX number
12884 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 52 / Tuesday, March 18, 1997 / Notices

(202) 874–5274 or by Internet mail to

REGS.COMMENTS@OCC.TREAS.GOV.

Comments will be available for

inspection and photocopying at the E

Street, SW, location. Appointments for

inspection of comments can be made by

calling (202) 874–4700.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Suzette Greco, Senior Attorney,

Securities and Corporate Practices

Division, (202) 874–5210 or Stuart

Feldstein, Assistant Director, Legislative

and Regulatory Activities Division,

(202) 874–5090.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The OCC

has been asked to determine whether

certain provisions of the Rhode Island

Financial Institution Insurance Sales

Act (FIISA), pertaining to sales of

insurance by financial institutions, are

preempted by provisions of Federal law.

On January 14, 1997, the OCC sought

comment on this request by notice

published in the Federal Register (62

FR 1950). The deadline for submission

of comments was February 13, 1997.

As the Federal Register notice and

request for comment indicated, the

Rhode Island law imposes a number of

requirements upon financial institutions

engaged in the solicitation and sale of

insurance that differ from the

requirements that apply to other

insurance agents and agencies. The

request for a preemption determination

contends that these special

requirements prevent or significantly

interfere with the ability of a national

bank to exercise its authority under 12

U.S.C. 92. See Barnett Bank of Marion

County, N.A. v. Bill Nelson, Florida

Insurance Commissioner, et al., 116

S.Ct. 1103, 1109 (1996) (stating that

state laws are applicable to national

banks provided they do not ‘‘prevent or

significantly interfere’’ with national

banks’ exercise of their powers).

Section 92 authorizes a national bank

‘‘located and doing business in any

place the population of which does not

exceed five thousand * * * [to] act as

the agent for any fire, life, or other

insurance company,’’ to ‘‘solicit[] and

sell[] insurance,’’ to ‘‘collec[t]

premiums,’’ and to ‘‘receive for services

so rendered * * * fees or

commissions,’’ subject to rules and

regulations prescribed by the

Comptroller of the Currency. The FIISA

special requirements include a

provision prohibiting banks from

requiring or implying that the purchase

of insurance products from a bank is

related to receiving another banking

product or service, a provision

restricting where a bank’s licensed agent

can solicit the sale of insurance, a

provision prohibiting certain bank

employees from soliciting and selling

insurance, a provision requiring

separate applications for loans and

insurance, and a provision limiting the

ability of a bank to use its customer

information to solicit and sell insurance.

The OCC is reopening the comment

period until May 15, 1997, to allow

interested parties the opportunity to

consider the effect, if any, of a pending

Rhode Island regulation that would

implement the FIISA. On December 13,

1996, the Rhode Island Department of

Business Regulation (DBR), Insurance

Division, published notice of its

proposal to promulgate Regulation 90, a

rule that would apply to the sale of

insurance by financial institutions in

Rhode Island. Copies of the proposed

regulation are on file at the DBR.

Subsequently, on February 10, 1997, the

DBR held a public hearing on proposed

Regulation 90. The DBR has stated that

it intends to file Regulation 90, as

amended to reflect any changes from the

proposed rule, with the Rhode Island

Secretary of State in early April, 1997.

The final regulation is expected to take

effect in mid-1997.

In addition, the comments received to

date on this matter raise certain points

on which additional information would

be helpful to the OCC. Specifically, the

OCC invites commenters to address the

following issues:

1. How would national banks have to

change the way they conduct their

insurance sales activities to conform to

the provisions of the FIISA that are

described in the January 14, 1997

Federal Register notice? Commenters

should address with specificity any

business or operational adjustments,

and associated costs, involved in

conforming their operations to the FIISA

provisions.

2. The FIISA contains certain

requirements intended to address the

potential for customer confusion with

regard to bank sales of insurance. What

other approaches, including other

formal mechanisms, are available to

ensure that consumers are adequately

protected?

3. Would any of the provisions of the

FIISA described in the OCC’s previous

notice disproportionately impact

community banks with respect to

personnel or other costs?

4. To what extent would any of the

FIISA provisions impact the ability of

banks to use streamlined physical

facilities which employ fewer staff and

rely on technology to a greater extent

than a traditional branch? To the extent

there was any impact, how would

customer convenience be affected?

Would any of the provisions have a

detrimental affect on convenient

availability of a full line of products to

customers?

5. Banks operating in low-income

areas increasingly are seeking to

develop more efficient, low-overhead

facilities and delivery systems when

providing products and services in these

areas. Would compliance with any

provisions of the FIISA result in

operating costs and burdens that would

deter banks from providing insurance in

low-income areas and thereby lessen

access to a full line of financial products

and services in low-income

communities?

6. What effect do recent amendments

to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15

U.S.C. 1681 et seq., have on the FIISA

provisions limiting the ability of a bank

to use its customer information to solicit

and sell insurance? The OCC welcomes

comments on these issues and on any

aspect of the FIISA on which the OCC

has been asked to consider preemption.

Dated: March 11, 1997.

Eugene A. Ludwig,

Comptroller of the Currency.

[FR Doc. 97–6708 Filed 3–17–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4810–33–P

Customs Service

Proposed Collection; Comment

Request; Certificate of Registration

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort

to reduce paperwork and respondent

burden, Customs invites the general

public and other Federal agencies to

comment on an information collection

requirement concerning the Certificate

of Registration. This request for

comment is being made pursuant to the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.

L. 104–13; 44 U.S.C. 3505(c)(2)).

DATES: Written comments should be

received on or before May 19, 1997 to

be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments

to U.S. Customs Service, Information

Services Group, Room 6216, 1301

Constitution Ave., NW, Washington,

D.C. 20229.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or

copies of the form(s) and instructions

should be directed to U.S. Customs

Service, Attn.: J. Edgar Nichols, Room

6216, 1301 Constitution Avenue NW,

Washington, D.C. 20229, Tel. (202) 927–

1426.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Customs

invites the general public and other

Federal agencies to comment on