Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 21 / Wednesday, February 2, 2005 / Notices 5499

18 15 U.S.C. 78o–3.

19 15 U.S.C. 78o–3(b)(6).

20 15 U.S.C. 78o–3(b)(6).

21The Commission has considered the proposed 

rule’s impact on efficiency, competition and capital 

formation. 15 U.S.C. 78c(f).

22See supra note 15. 23 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).

2. Statutory Basis 

NASD believes that the proposed rule 

change is consistent with the provisions 

of Section 15A of the Act,18 in general, 

and with Section 15A(b)(6) 19 of the Act, 

in particular, in that the proposal is 

designed to prevent fraudulent and 

manipulative acts and practices, to 

promote just and equitable principles of 

trade, and, in general, to protect 

investors and the public interest. NASD 

Dispute Resolution believes that the 

proposed rule change ultimately will 

protect investors and benefit the public 

by providing parties with an automated 

system that will help the forum operate 

more efficiently.

B. Self-Regulatory Organization’s 

Statement on Burden on Competition 

NASD does not believe that the 

proposed rule change will result in any 

burden on competition that is not 

necessary or appropriate in furtherance 

of the purposes of the Act, as amended. 

C. Self-Regulatory Organization’s 

Statement on Comments on the 

Proposed Rule Change Received From 

Members, Participants, or Others 

Written comments were neither 

solicited nor received. 

III. Solicitation of Comments 

Interested persons are invited to 

submit written data, views, and 

arguments concerning the foregoing, 

including whether the proposed rule 

change is consistent with the Act. 

Comments may be submitted by any of 

the following methods: 

Electronic Comments 

• Use the Commission’s Internet 

comment form (http://www.sec.gov/

rules/sro.shtml); or 

• Send an E-mail to rulecomments@sec.gov. Please include File 

Number SR–NASD–2004–164 on the 

subject line. 

Paper Comments 

• Send paper comments in triplicate 

to Jonathan G. Katz, Secretary, 

Securities and Exchange Commission, 

450 Fifth Street, NW., Washington, DC 

20549–0609.

All submissions should refer to File 

Number SR–NASD–2004–164. This file 

number should be included on the 

subject line if e-mail is used. To help the 

Commission process and review your 

comments more efficiently, please use 

only one method. The Commission will 

post all comments on the Commission’s 

Internet Web site (http://www.sec.gov/

rules/sro.shtml). Copies of the 

submission, all subsequent 

amendments, all written statements 

with respect to the proposed rule 

change that are filed with the 

Commission, and all written 

communications relating to the 

proposed rule change between the 

Commission and any person, other than 

those that may be withheld from the 

public in accordance with the 

provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be 

available for inspection and copying in 

the Commission’s Public Reference 

Section, 450 Fifth Street, NW., 

Washington, DC 20549. Copies of such 

filing also will be available for 

inspection and copying at the principal 

office of the NASD. All comments 

received will be posted without change; 

the Commission does not edit personal 

identifying information from 

submissions. You should submit only 

information that you wish to make 

available publicly. All submissions 

should refer to File Number SR–NASD–

2004–164 and should be submitted on 

or before February 22, 2005. 

IV. Commission’s Findings and Order 

Granting Accelerated Approval of 

Proposed Rule Change 

The Commission has reviewed 

carefully the proposed rule change as 

amended and finds that it is consistent 

with the requirements of the Act and the 

rules and regulations thereunder 

applicable to a national securities 

association and, in particular, the 

requirements of Section 15A(b)(6) 20 of 

the Act.21 Section 15A(b)(6) requires, 

among other things, that the rules of a 

national securities association are 

designed to prevent fraudulent and 

manipulative acts and practices, to 

promote just and equitable principles of 

trade, and, in general, to protect 

investors and the public interest. The 

Commission believes that the proposed 

rule change ultimately will protect 

investors and benefit the public by 

providing parties with an automated 

case management system that will help 

the NASD Dispute Resolution 

arbitration forum operate more 

efficiently.22

The Commission finds good cause for 

approving the proposed rule change as 

amended prior to the thirtieth day after 

the publication of notice of filing thereof 

in the Federal Register. Accelerated 

approval will provide NASD Dispute 

Resolution with the certainty it needs to 

upgrade its computer technology to 

select arbitrators on a random, rather 

than a rotational, basis and to ultimately 

replace NLSS with MATRICS. 

V. Conclusion 

It is therefore ordered, pursuant to 

Section 19(b)(2) of the Act, that the 

proposed rule change (SR–NASD–2004–

164) as amended be, and hereby is, 

approved on an accelerated basis.

For the Commission, by the Division of 

Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated 

authority.23

Margaret H. McFarland, 

Deputy Secretary.

[FR Doc. E5–397 Filed 2–1–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8010–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 4985] 

30-Day Notice of Proposed Information 

Collection: DS 4053, Department of 

State Mentor-Prote ́ge ́ Program 

Application, OMB Control Number 

1405–XXXX

ACTION: Notice of request for public 

comment and submission to OMB of 

proposed collection of information. 

SUMMARY: The Department of State has 

submitted the following information 

collection request to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

approval in accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. 

• Title of Information Collection:

Department of State Mentor-Prote ́ge ́

Program Application, 

• OMB Control Number: 1405–XXXX. 

• Type of Request: New Collection. 

• Originating Office: Bureau of 

Administration, A/SDBU. 

• Form Number: DS 4053. 

• Respondents: Small and large forprofit companies planning to team 

together in an official mentor-prote ́ge ́

capacity to improve the likelihood of 

winning DOS contracts. 

• Estimated Number of Respondents:

20 respondents per year. 

• Estimated Number of Responses: 10 

per year. 

• Average Hours Per Response: 21. 

• Total Estimated Burden: 210. 

• Frequency: On Occasion. 

• Obligation to Respond: Voluntary.

DATES: Submit comments to the Office 

of Management and Budget (OMB) for 

up to 30 days from February 2, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Direct comments and 

questions to Alex Hunt, the Department 

of State Desk Officer in the Office of 

5500 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 21 / Wednesday, February 2, 2005 / Notices 

Information and Regulatory Affairs at 

the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB), who may be reached on 202–

395–7860. You may submit comments 

by any of the following methods: 

• E-mail: ahunt@omb.eop.gov. You 

must include the DS form number (if 

applicable), information collection title, 

and OMB control number in the subject 

line of your message. 

• Hand Delivery or Courier: OIRA, 

Department of State Desk Officer, Office 

of Management and Budget, 725 17th 

Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503 

• Fax: 202–395–6974

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: You 

may obtain copies of the proposed 

information collection and supporting 

documents from Patricia Culbreth, A/

SDBU, SA–6, Rm. L–500, Washington 

DC, 20522, who may be reached on 703–

875–6881. E-mail, culbrethpb@state.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We are 

soliciting public comments to permit 

the Department to: 

• Evaluate whether the proposed 

information collection is necessary to 

properly perform our functions. 

• Evaluate the accuracy of our 

estimate of the burden of the proposed 

collection, including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used. 

• Enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected. 

• Minimize the reporting burden on 

those who are to respond, including the 

use of automated collection techniques 

or other forms of technology. 

Abstract of proposed collection: 

This information collection facilitates 

implementation of a mentor-prote ́ge ́

program that encourages business 

agreements between small and large forprofit companies planning to team 

together in an official mentor-prote ́ge ́

capacity to improve the likelihood of 

winning DOS contracts. Such a program 

should assist the State Department 

OSDBU office in reaching its small 

business goals. 

Methodology: 

Respondents may submit the 

information by e-mail using DS–4053, or 

by letter using fax or postal mail. 

Additional Information: None.

Dated: November 23, 2004. 

Durie N. White, 

Operations Director, Bureau of 

Administration, Department of State.

[FR Doc. 05–1929 Filed 2–1–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–24–P

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 4986] 

Determination and Waiver of Section 

592 of the Foreign Operations, Export 

Financing, and Related Programs 

Appropriations Act, 2005 (Division D, 

Public Law 108–447), Relating to 

Compliance With the Algiers 

Agreements 

Pursuant to the authority vested in me 

by section 592 of the Foreign 

Operations, Export Financing, and 

Related Programs Appropriations Act, 

2005 (Division D, Pub. L. 108–447), I 

hereby determine that it is in the 

national security interests of the United 

States to waive the requirements of this 

section as they pertain to the central 

Governments of Eritrea and Ethiopia. 

This determination shall be notified 

to the Congress and published in the 

Federal Register.

Dated: January 24, 2005. 

Colin L. Powell, 

Secretary of State, Department of State.

[FR Doc. 05–1928 Filed 2–1–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–26–P

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES 

TRADE REPRESENTATIVE 

Identification of Countries Under 

Section 182 of the Trade Act of 1974: 

Extension of Deadline for Public 

Comment on Out-of-Cycle Review of 

the People’s Republic of China

AGENCY: Office of the United States 

Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This notice extends by two 

weeks the deadline for the submission 

of comments in the Out-of-Cycle Review 

(OCR) of the People’s Republic of China 

(China) under section 182 of the Trade 

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

2242), commonly referred to as the 

‘‘Special 301’’ provision of the Trade 

Act.

DATES: Submissions must be received on 

or before 5 p.m. on Monday, February 

14, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be 

addressed to Sybia Harrison, Special 

Assistant to the Section 301 Committee, 

and sent (i) electronically, to 

FR0446@ustr.eop.gov, with ‘‘Special 301 

Out-of-Cycle Review’’ in the subject 

line, or (ii) by fax, to (202) 395–9458, 

with a confirmation copy sent 

electronically to the e-mail address 

above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ronald Meyers, Director of Intellectual 

Property and China, at (202) 395–9549, 

Angela Davis, Director of China Affairs, 

at (202) 395–3900, or Stanford McCoy, 

Assistant General Counsel, at (202) 395–

3581, Office of the United States Trade 

Representative.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 3, 

2004, the Office of the United States 

Trade Representative (USTR) 

announced the results of the 2004 

Special 301 review and stated that an 

OCR would be conducted in early 2005 

to assess China’s actions to implement 

effectively the commitments it 

undertook under the Joint Commission 

on Commerce and Trade (JCCT), its 

WTO commitments, and a 1995 bilateral 

intellectual property agreement with the 

United States (including additional 

commitments made in 1996). On 

December 14, 2004, USTR requested 

written comments from the public 

concerning the acts, policies, and 

practices relevant for this review under 

section 182 of the Trade Act (69 FR 

74561). The original deadline for 

submissions was Monday, January 31, 

2005. In order to afford members of the 

public the fullest possible opportunity 

to respond to this request, USTR is 

extending the deadline for submissions 

by two weeks, to Monday, February 14, 

2005. For details concerning the 

information requested and requirements 

for comments, respondents are asked to 

refer to the USTR request for written 

submissions from the public published 

in the Federal Register on December 14, 

2004 (69 FR 74561).

James Mendenhall, 

Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for 

Services, Investment, and Intellectual 

Property.

[FR Doc. 05–1883 Filed 2–1–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3190–W5–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration 

[Docket No. FAA–2004–19400] 

Commercial Aviation Safety Team 

Safety Enhancements

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of order designating 

information as protected from 

disclosure. 

SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA) is designating 

information provided to the agency from 

approved voluntary compliance with 

safety enhancements recommended by 

the Commercial Aviation Safety Team 

(CAST) as protected from public