77178 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 250 / Monday, December 31, 2012 / Notices 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: We are announcing that the 

assessment percentage rate under 

sections 206(d) and 1631(d)(2)(C) of the 

Social Security Act (Act), 42 U.S.C. 

406(d) and 1383(d)(2)(C), is 6.3 percent 

for 2013. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jeffrey C. Blair, Associate General 

Counsel for Program Law, Office of the 

General Counsel, Social Security 

Administration, 6401 Security 

Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235–6401. 

Phone: (410) 965–3157, email 

Jeff.Blair@ssa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Individuals claiming Social Security 

benefits or Supplemental Security 

Income payments may choose to hire 

representatives to assist them with their 

claims. If the claim is successful and the 

individual was represented either by an 

attorney or by a non-attorney 

representative who has met certain 

prerequisites, the Act provides that we 

may withhold up to 25 percent of the 

past-due benefits on the claim and use 

that money to pay the representative’s 

approved fee directly to the 

representative. 

When we pay the representative’s fee 

directly to the representative, we must 

collect from that fee payment an 

assessment to recover the costs we incur 

in determining and paying 

representatives’ fees. The Act provides 

that the assessment we collect will be 

the lesser of two amounts: a specified 

dollar limit; or the amount determined 

by multiplying the fee we are paying by 

the assessment percentage rate. 

(Sections 206(d), 206(e), and 1631(d)(2) 

of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 406(d), 406(e), and 

1383(d)(2).) 

The Act initially set the dollar limit 

at $75 in 2004 and provides that the 

limit will be adjusted annually based on 

changes in the cost-of-living. (Sections 

206(d)(2)(A) and 1631(d)(2)(C)(ii)(I) of 

the Act, 42 U.S.C. 406(d)(2)(A) and 

1383(d)(2)(C)(ii)(I).) The maximum 

dollar limit for the assessment currently 

is $88, as we announced in the Federal 

Register on October 30, 2012 (77 FR 

65754). 

The Act requires us each year to set 

the assessment percentage rate at the 

lesser of 6.3 percent or the percentage 

rate necessary to achieve full recovery of 

the costs we incur to determine and pay 

representatives’ fees. (Sections 

206(d)(2)(B)(ii) and 1631(d)(2)(C)(ii)(II) 

of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 406(d)(2)(B)(ii) and 

1383(d)(2)(C)(ii)(II).) 

Based on the best available data, we 

have determined that the current rate of 

6.3 percent will continue for 2013. We 

will continue to review our costs for 

these services on a yearly basis. 

Dated: December 21, 2012. 

Tina Waddell, 

Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Budget, 

Finance and Management. 

[FR Doc. 2012–31372 Filed 12–28–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4191–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 8136] 

Culturally Significant Objects Imported 

for Exhibition Determinations: ‘‘PreRaphaelites: Victorian Art and Design, 

1848–1900’’ 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the 

following determinations: Pursuant to 

the authority vested in me by the Act of 

October 19, 1965 (79 Stat. 985; 22 U.S.C. 

2459), Executive Order 12047 of March 

27, 1978, the Foreign Affairs Reform and 

Restructuring Act of 1998 (112 Stat. 

2681, et seq.; 22 U.S.C. 6501 note, et 

seq.), Delegation of Authority No. 234 of 

October 1, 1999, Delegation of Authority 

No. 236–3 of August 28, 2000 (and, as 

appropriate, Delegation of Authority No. 

257 of April 15, 2003), I hereby 

determine that the objects to be 

included in the exhibition ‘‘PreRaphaelites: Victorian Art and Design, 

1848–1900,’’ imported from abroad for 

temporary exhibition within the United 

States, are of cultural significance. The 

objects are imported pursuant to loan 

agreements with the foreign owners or 

custodians. I also determine that the 

exhibition or display of the exhibit 

objects at the National Gallery of Art, 

Washington, DC, from on or about 

February 17, 2013, until on or about 

May 19, 2013, and at possible additional 

exhibitions or venues yet to be 

determined, is in the national interest. 

I have ordered that Public Notice of 

these Determinations be published in 

the Federal Register. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information, including a list of 

the exhibit objects, contact Julie 

Simpson, Attorney-Adviser, Office of 

the Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of 

State (telephone: 202–632–6467). The 

mailing address is U.S. Department of 

State, SA–5, L/PD, Fifth Floor (Suite 

5H03), Washington, DC 20522–0505. 

Dated: December 21, 2012. 

J. Adam Ereli, 

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau 

of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 

Department of State. 

[FR Doc. 2012–31440 Filed 12–28–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES 

TRADE REPRESENTATIVE 

2013 Special 301 Review: Identification 

of Countries Under Section 182 of the 

Trade Act of 1974: Request for Public 

Comment and Announcement of 

Public Hearing 

AGENCY: Office of the United States 

Trade Representative. 

ACTION: Request for written submissions 

from the public and announcement of 

public hearing. 

SUMMARY: Section 182 of the Trade Act 

of 1974 (Trade Act) (19 U.S.C. 2242) 

requires the United States Trade 

Representative (Trade Representative) to 

identify countries that deny adequate 

and effective protection of intellectual 

property rights (IPR) or deny fair and 

equitable market access to U.S. persons 

who rely on intellectual property 

protection. (The provisions of Section 

182 are commonly referred to as the 

‘‘Special 301’’ provisions of the Trade 

Act.) The Trade Act requires the Trade 

Representative to determine which, if 

any, of these countries to identify as 

Priority Foreign Countries. Acts, 

policies, or practices that are the basis 

of a country’s identification as a Priority 

Foreign Country can be subject to the 

procedures set out in sections 301–305 

of the Trade Act. 

In addition, the Office of the United 

States Trade Representative (USTR) has 

created a ‘‘Priority Watch List’’ and 

‘‘Watch List’’ to assist the 

Administration in pursuing the goals of 

the Special 301 provisions. Placement of 

a trading partner on the Priority Watch 

List or Watch List indicates that 

particular problems exist in that country 

with respect to IPR protection, 

enforcement, or market access for 

persons that rely on intellectual 

property protection. Trading partners 

placed on the Priority Watch List are the 

focus of increased bilateral attention 

concerning the problem areas. 

USTR chairs an interagency team that 

reviews information from many sources, 

and that consults with and makes 

recommendations to the Trade 

Representative on issues arising under 

Special 301. Written submissions from 

interested persons are a key source of 

information for the Special 301 review 

process. In 2013, USTR again will 

conduct a public hearing as part of the 

review process. 

USTR is hereby requesting written 

submissions from the public concerning 

foreign countries’ acts, policies, or 

practices that are relevant to deciding 

whether a particular trading partner 

should be identified as a priority foreign 

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