67342 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 214 / Monday, November 7, 2005 / Rules and Regulations 

disbursed, and suspending or expelling 

the organization from the CFC. 

[FR Doc. 05–22186 Filed 11–3–05; 11:13 am] 

BILLING CODE 6325–46–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Commodity Credit Corporation 

7 CFR Part 1427 

RIN 0560–AH36 

Extra Long Staple Cotton Prices 

AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: This rule finalizes an interim 

final rule published June 20, 2005 that 

was effective August 5, 2005, amending 

the Extra Long Staple (ELS) Cotton 

Competitiveness Payment Program of 

the Commodity Credit Corporation 

(CCC). The interim rule changed the 

ELS cotton price used to calculate the 

payment rate from the ‘‘average 

domestic spot price quotation for base 

quality U.S. Pima cotton’’ to the 

‘‘American Pima c.i.f. Northern Europe’’

price. The change was made to reduce 

the cost to the Federal Government of 

operating the program by incorporating 

a reference price more indicative of 

actual ELS cotton world market prices. 

This final rule makes changes from the 

interim final rule in the prices used to 

calculate the payment rate from 

‘‘American Pima c.i.f. Northern Europe’’

and ‘‘c.i.f. Northern Europe’’ price 

quotes to ‘‘U.S. Pima C/F Far East’’ and 

‘‘C/F Far East,’’ respectively. This 

change is made in response to 

comments and for other reasons as 

discussed. 

DATES: Effective November 4, 2005. The 

first announcement of a payment rate 

under the new price mechanism will be 

on November 10, 2005. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Steve Neff, Economic and Policy 

Analysis Staff, Farm Service Agency, 

United States Department of 

Agriculture, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, SW., AG STOP 0515, 

Washington, DC 20250–0515; Phone: 

(202) 720–7954; e-mail: 

Steve.Neff@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

In an interim final rule published 

June 20, 2005 (70 FR 35367) the 

Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) 

changed the regulations governing how 

payment rates are calculated under its 

Extra Long Staple (ELS) Cotton 

Competitiveness Payment Program to 

change the price used for the calculation 

from the ‘‘average domestic spot price 

quotation for base quality U.S. Pima 

cotton,’’ or ‘‘U.S. spot quotes,’’ to the 

‘‘American Pima c.i.f. Northern Europe 

quote.’’ Before the interim rule, the ELS 

payment rate was the difference 

between U.S. spot prices, as reported by 

the Department of Agriculture (USDA), 

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), 

and the lowest foreign quote, c.i.f. 

Northern Europe, as published by the 

trade publication Cotton Outlook, 

adjusted to U.S. location and quality. 

This change was made because 

payments to ELS producers calculated 

using the old price had sharply 

increased program outlays. For example, 

the payment rate, which averaged a 

record high of 16.46 cents per pound in 

2004, averaged 80.48 cents per pound 

for 7 weeks in February and March, 

2005. Consequently, fiscal year 2005 

outlays through March, 2005, normally 

budgeted for $50–55 million per year, 

exceeded $150 million. 

The increase in the payment rate 

could be attributed principally to 

increases in U.S. spot market quotes. 

The market for ELS cotton is susceptible 

to price swings because it is a thin 

market. ELS production of 736,000 bales 

in 2004 was only 4 percent of total U.S. 

cotton production and 90 percent of ELS 

is produced in the San Joaquin Valley 

of California. The ELS market also has 

relatively few participants. For example, 

two trading companies received nearly 

60 percent of the payments under this 

program in fiscal years 2003 and 2004. 

Further, growing conditions in 2004 

contributed to a short supply of highquality ELS cotton, excess moisture led 

to color deterioration and lower grade 

classification. These circumstances 

exposed a program weakness which 

allowed high prices and high payment 

rates to influence each other with no 

market-like, self-correcting mechanism. 

AMS collects transaction data from 

market participants whose payments 

depend on the reported prices. If a sale 

is made at a relatively low price, the 

merchant has no incentive to report that 

transaction. With a high payment rate in 

effect for a week, the merchant could 

bid more for existing supplies and 

report higher transaction prices to AMS, 

which led to a higher payment rate in 

the following week. With the higher 

payment rate, the merchant could 

source from the United States and 

remain competitive in international 

markets. 

The interim final rule’s intent was to 

reduce future payment rates by 

comparing foreign quotes to quotes for 

American Pima c.i.f. Northern Europe to 

determine the payment rate. American 

Pima c.i.f. Northern Europe was 

determined to be the most valid price 

measure for this program because it was 

a comparison of foreign and U.S. quotes 

from the same source within the same 

geographical area. This measure is net of 

the payment rate and based on the 

export market. FSA believed that this 

measure was appropriate because 90 

percent of U.S.-produced ELS cotton is 

exported. According to our analysis, the 

payment rate calculated in this manner 

would have resulted in a payment of 

20.69 cents per pound for the first week 

of April, about a quarter of the rate CCC 

actually paid. 

Public Comment 

Section 1601(c) of the Farm Security 

and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (2002 

Act) provided that the regulations 

needed to implement Title I of the 2002 

Act, which includes this rule, shall be 

promulgated without regard to the 

notice and comment provisions of 5 

U.S.C. 553 or the Statement of Policy of 

the Secretary of Agriculture effective 

July 24, 1971, relating to notices of 

proposed rulemaking and public 

participation in rulemaking. Therefore, 

the rule was issued as an interim final 

rule and was effective immediately. 

Nonetheless, the Agency requested and 

accepted public comments. 

Discussion of Public Comments 

Eight public comments were received. 

Two letters supporting the interim final 

rule were received from Congress—one 

from the Chairman of the Senate 

Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & 

Forestry; one from the Chairman of the 

House Committee on Agriculture. Also, 

separate letters were received from two 

cotton industry groups, the National 

Cotton Council and Supima, supporting 

the interim rule. These groups also 

joined in a letter signed by five 

organizations recommending the shift to 

a Far East price quote basis discussed 

below. 

Price Quotes Used To Calculate 

Payments 

A comment from a U.S. cotton 

spinner urged the Agency to change 

both price quotes used to calculate 

payments from the ‘‘American Pima 

c.i.f. Northern Europe’’ adopted in the 

interim final rule and the foreign price 

quote used for comparison, ‘‘c.i.f. 

Northern Europe,’’ to ‘‘U.S. Pima C/F 

Far East’’ and ‘‘C/F Far East,’’

respectively. This change was needed, 

the commenter suggested, because ‘‘very 

little cotton, and especially very little 

American Pima (ELS cotton), is 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 214 / Monday, November 7, 2005 / Rules and Regulations 67343 

exported to Europe.’’ Another comment 

received, a joint letter signed by the 

National Cotton Council, Supima, 

Amcot (the international sales agency of 

American cotton growers), the American 

Cotton Shippers Association, and the 

Western Cotton Shippers Association, 

also suggested that the change to a Far 

East basis by CCC ‘‘would be a logical 

approach.’’

As suggested by commenters, this rule 

changes CCC’s regulation to a Far East 

price basis. FSA agrees that the ‘‘U.S. 

Pima C/F Far East’’ and ‘‘C/F Far East’’

quotes are the best quotes for 

determining program payments mainly 

because, as one respondent indicated, 

U.S. exports of ELS cotton are 

preponderantly to Asian destinations. 

From 2000 through 2004, the share of 

ELS exports to Europe averaged 13.5 

percent, compared to 76 percent to the 

Far East and South Asia. A further 

reason for this price change is that 

Cotton Outlook has announced that it 

would stop publishing the Northern 

Europe quotations. Thus, the price 

quote required in CCC regulations soon 

will no longer be available. Accordingly, 

the final rule adopts the commenters 

suggestion and changes the price quotes 

required by the regulation from 

‘‘American Pima c.i.f. Northern Europe’’

and ‘‘c.i.f. Northern Europe’’ quotes 

published by Cotton Outlook to ‘‘U.S. 

Pima C/F Far East’’ and ‘‘C/F Far East,’’

respectively, as published by Cotlook 

Limited, publisher of Cotton Outlook. 

This change in price quotes will not 

measurably alter the economic impacts 

and government outlay results expected 

from the interim rule. 

Executive Order 12866 

This rule is issued in conformance 

with Executive Order 12866, was 

determined to be not significant and has 

not been reviewed by the Office of 

Management and Budget. 

Regulatory Flexibility Act 

It has been determined that the 

Regulatory Flexibility Act is not 

applicable to this rule because CCC is 

not required by 5 U.S.C. 533 or any 

other law to publish a notice of 

proposed rulemaking for the subject 

matter of this rule. 

Environmental Assessment 

The environmental impacts of this 

rule have been considered consistent 

with the provisions of the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 

(NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq., the 

regulations of the Council on 

Environmental Quality (40 CFR parts 

1500–1508), and the FSA regulations for 

compliance with NEPA, 7 CFR part 799. 

FSA concluded that the rule requires no 

further environmental review because it 

is categorically excluded. No 

extraordinary circumstances or other 

unforeseeable factors exist which would 

require preparation of an environmental 

assessment or environmental impact 

statement. 

Executive Order 12988 

This rule has been reviewed in 

accordance with Executive Order 12988. 

This rule preempts State laws that are 

inconsistent with it. Before any legal 

action may be brought regarding a 

determination under this rule, the 

administrative appeal provisions set 

forth at 7 CFR parts 11 and 780 must be 

exhausted. 

Executive Order 12372 

This program is not subject to the 

provisions of Executive Order 12372, 

which require intergovernmental 

consultation with State and local 

officials. See the notice related to 7 CFR 

part 3014, subpart V, published at 48 FR 

29115 (June 24, 1983). 

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 

1995 

The rule contains no Federal 

mandates under the regulatory 

provisions of Title II of the Unfunded 

Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) 

for State, Local, and tribal governments 

or the private sector. Thus, this rule is 

not subject to the requirements of 

sections 202 and 205 of the UMRA. 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

Section 1601(c) of the 2002 Act 

provides that the promulgation of 

regulations and the administration of 

Title I of the 2002 Act shall be made 

without regard to chapter 35 of title 44 

of the United States Code (the 

Paperwork Reduction Act). Accordingly, 

these regulations and the forms and 

other information collection activities 

needed to administer the program 

authorized by these regulations are not 

subject to review by OMB under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act. 

Executive Order 12612 

This rule does not have sufficient 

Federalism implications to warrant the 

preparation of a Federalism Assessment. 

The provisions contained in this rule 

will not have substantial direct effect on 

States or their political subdivisions or 

on the distribution of power and 

responsibilities among the various 

levels of government. 

Government Paperwork Elimination 

Act 

CCC and FSA are committed to 

compliance with the Government 

Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) and 

the Freedom to E-File Act, which 

require Government agencies in general 

and FSA in particular to provide the 

public the option of submitting 

information or transacting business 

electronically to the maximum extent 

possible. The forms and other 

information collection activities 

required for participation in the 

program are available electronically 

through the USDA eForms Web site at 

http://www.sc.egov.usda.gov for 

downloading. Applications may be 

submitted at the FSA county offices, by 

mail or by FAX. At this time, electronic 

submission is not available. Full 

development of electronic submission is 

underway. 

Federal Assistance Programs 

The title and number of the Federal 

assistance program found in the Catalog 

of Federal Domestic Assistance to which 

this final rule applies are Commodity 

Loans and Loan Deficiency Payments, 

10.051. 

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 1427 

Agricultural commodities, Cotton, 

Price support programs, Reporting and 

record keeping requirements. 

■ For the reasons set out in the 

preamble, 7 CFR part 1427 is amended 

as follows: 

PART 1427—COTTON 

■ 1. The authority citation continues to 

read as follows: 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7231–7237 and 7931 et 

seq.; 15 U.S.C. 714b, 714c. 

Subpart G—Extra Long Staple (ELS) 

Cotton Competitiveness Payment 

Program 

■ 2. Revise subpart G to read as follows: 

Subpart G—Extra Long Staple (ELS) 

Cotton Competitiveness Payment 

Program 

§ 1427.1200 Applicability. 

(a) These regulations set forth the 

terms and conditions under which CCC 

shall make payments to eligible 

domestic users and exporters of extra 

long staple cotton who have entered 

into an ELS Cotton Domestic User/ 

Exporter Agreement with CCC. 

(b) CCC will issue payments to 

domestic users and exporters in any 

week following a consecutive 4-week 

period in which: 

67344 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 214 / Monday, November 7, 2005 / Rules and Regulations 

(1) The LFQ is less than the USPFE; 

and 

(2) Adjusted LFQ is less than 134 

percent of the current crop year loan 

level for the base quality U.S. Pima 

cotton. 

(c) CCC shall prescribe the forms and 

information collections necessary in 

administering the ELS cotton 

competitiveness payment program. 

Additional terms and conditions for the 

program are set forth in the ELS Cotton 

Domestic User/Exporter Agreement. 

§ 1427.1201 [Reserved] 

§ 1427.1202 Definitions. 

The following definitions apply as 

used in this subpart: 

Consumption means the use of 

eligible ELS cotton by a domestic user 

in the manufacture in the United States 

of cotton products. 

Cotton product means any product 

containing cotton fibers that result from 

the use of an eligible bale of ELS cotton 

in manufacturing. 

Current shipment price means, during 

the period in which two daily price 

quotations are available for the LFQ for 

the foreign growth, quoted C/F Far East, 

the price quotation for cotton for 

shipment no later than August/ 

September of the current calendar year. 

ELS means Extra Long Staple. 

Forward shipment price means, 

during the period in which two daily 

price quotations are available for the 

LFQ for foreign growths, quoted C/F Far 

East, the price quotation for cotton for 

shipment no earlier than October/ 

November of the current calendar year. 

LFQ means, during the period in 

which only one daily price quotation is 

available for the growth, the lowest 

average for the preceding Friday 

through Thursday week of the price 

quotations for foreign growths of ELS 

cotton, quoted cost and freight (C/F) Far 

East, after each respective average is 

adjusted for quality differences between 

the respective foreign growth and U.S. 

Pima, of the base quality. 

(1) Adjusted LFQ means the LFQ 

adjusted to reflect the estimated cost of 

transportation between an average U.S. 

location and destination ports in the Far 

East. 

(2) LFQc means the preceding Friday 

through Thursday average of the current 

shipment prices for the lowest adjusted 

foreign growth, C/F Far East. 

(3) LFQf means the preceding Friday 

through Thursday average of the 

forward shipment prices for the lowest 

adjusted foreign growth, quoted C/F Far 

East. 

USPFE means the Friday through 

Thursday weekly average of the price 

quotation for base quality U.S. Pima 

cotton, as determined by CCC for 

purposes of administering this subpart, 

C/F Far East. 

(1) USPFEc means the preceding 

Friday through Thursday average of the 

current shipment prices for U.S. Pima 

cotton, C/F Far East. 

(2) USPFEf means the preceding 

Friday through Thursday average of the 

forward shipment prices for U.S. Pima 

cotton, C/F Far East. 

§ 1427.1203 Eligible ELS cotton. 

(a) For the purposes of this subpart, 

eligible ELS cotton is domestically 

produced baled ELS cotton that is: 

(1) Opened by an eligible domestic 

user on or after October 1, 1999, or 

(2) Exported by an eligible exporter on 

or after October 1, 1999, during a Friday 

through Thursday period in which a 

payment rate determined under 

§ 1427.1207 is in effect, and that meets 

the requirements of paragraphs (b) and 

(c) of this section; 

(b) Eligible ELS cotton must be either: 

(1) Baled lint, including baled lint 

classified by USDA’s Agricultural 

Marketing Service as Below Grade; or 

(2) Loose. 

(c) Eligible ELS cotton must not be: 

(1) ELS for which a payment, under 

the provisions of this subpart, has been 

made available; 

(2) Imported ELS cotton; 

(3) Raw, unprocessed motes; 

(4) Textile mill wastes; or 

(5) Semi-processed or re-ginned, 

processed motes. 

§ 1427.1204 Eligible domestic users and 

exporters. 

(a) For the purposes of this subpart, 

the following persons shall be 

considered eligible domestic users and 

exporters of ELS cotton: 

(1) A person regularly engaged in the 

business of opening bales of eligible ELS 

cotton to manufacturing such cotton 

into cotton products in the United 

States (a domestic user), who has 

entered into an agreement with CCC to 

participate in the ELS Cotton 

Competitiveness Payment Program; or 

(2) A person, including a producer or 

a cooperative marketing association 

approved under part 1425 of this 

chapter, regularly engaged in selling 

eligible ELS cotton for exportation from 

the United States (an exporter), who has 

entered into an agreement with CCC to 

participate in the ELS Cotton 

Competitiveness Payment Program. 

(b) Payment applications must 

contain the documentation required by 

this subpart, an ELS Cotton Domestic 

User/Exporter Agreement and 

additional information that may be 

requested by CCC. 

§ 1427.1205 ELS Cotton Domestic User/ 

Exporter Agreement. 

(a) Payments under this subpart shall 

be made available to eligible domestic 

users and exporters who have entered 

into an ELS Cotton Domestic User/ 

Exporter Agreement with CCC and who 

have complied with the terms and 

conditions in this subpart, the ELS 

Cotton Domestic User/Exporter 

Agreement and CCC-issued instructions. 

(b) ELS Cotton Domestic User/ 

Exporter Agreements may be obtained 

from CCC. To participate in the program 

authorized by this subpart, domestic 

users and exporters must execute the 

ELS Cotton Domestic User/Exporter 

Agreement and forward the original and 

one copy to CCC. 

§ 1427.1206 Form of payment. 

Payments under this subpart shall be 

made available in the form of 

commodity certificates issued under 

part 1401 of this chapter, or in cash, at 

the option of the participant, as CCC 

determines and announces. 

§ 1427.1207 Payment rate. 

(a) The payment rate for payments 

made under this subpart shall be 

determined as follows: 

(1) Beginning the Friday on or 

following August 1 and ending the week 

in which the LFQc, the LFQf, the 

USPFEc, and the USPFEf prices first 

become available, the payment rate shall 

be the difference between the USPFE 

and the LFQ in the fourth week of a 

consecutive 4-week period in which the 

USPFE exceeded the LFQ each week, 

and the adjusted LFQ was less than 134 

percent of the current crop year loan 

level for U.S. base quality Pima cotton 

in all weeks of the 4-week period; and 

(2) Beginning the Friday-throughThursday week after the week in which 

the LFQc, the LFQf, the USPFEc, and 

the USFEf prices first become available 

and ending the Thursday following July 

31, the payment rate shall be the 

difference between the USPFEc and the 

LFQc in the fourth week of a 

consecutive 4-week period in which the 

USPFEc exceeded the LFQc each week, 

and the adjusted LFQc was less than 

134 percent of the current crop year 

loan level for base quality U.S. Pima in 

all weeks of the 4-week period. If either 

or both the USPFEc and the LFQc are 

not available, the payment rate may be 

the difference between the USPFEf and 

the LFQf. 

(b) Whenever a 4-week period under 

paragraph (a) of this section contains a 

combination of LFQ, LFQc, and LFQf 

for only one to three weeks, such as may 

occur in the spring when the LFQ is 

succeeded by the LFQc and the LFQf 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 214 / Monday, November 7, 2005 / Rules and Regulations 67345 

(spring transition), and at the start of a 

new marketing year when the LFQc and 

the LFQf are succeeded by the LFQ 

(marketing year transition), under 

paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this 

section, during both the spring 

transition and the marketing year 

transition periods, the LFQc and 

USPFEc, in combination with the LFQ 

and USPFE, shall, to the extent 

practicable, be considered during such 

4-week periods to determine whether a 

payment is to be issued. During both the 

spring transition and the marketing year 

transition periods, if either or both 

USPFEc price and the LFQc are not 

available, the USPFEf and the LFQf in 

combination with the USPFE price and 

LFQ shall be taken into consideration 

during such 4-week periods to 

determine whether a payment is to be 

issued. 

(c) For purposes of this subpart, 

regarding the determination of the 

USPFE, USPFEc, USPFEf, the LFQ, the 

LFQc, and the LFQf: 

(1) If daily quotations are not 

available for one or more days of the 5- 

day period, the available quotations 

during the period will be used; 

(2) If none of the USPFE, USPFEc, or 

USPFEf prices is available, or if none of 

the LFQ, LFQc, or LFQf is available, the 

payment rate shall be zero and shall 

remain zero unless and until sufficient 

USPFE prices or the LFQ again becomes 

available, the USPFE, USPFEc, or 

USPFEf price exceeds the LFQ, the 

LFQc, or the LFQf, as the case may be, 

and the LFQ, the LFQc, or the LFQf, as 

the case may be, adjusted for 

transportation, is less than 134 percent 

of the current crop year loan rate for 

base quality U.S. Pima for 4 consecutive 

weeks. 

(d) Payment rates for loose lint that is 

of a suitable quality, without further 

processing, for spinning, papermaking 

or bleaching, shall be based on a 

percentage of the basic rate for baled 

lint, as specified in the ELS Cotton 

Domestic User/Exporter Agreement. 

§ 1427.1208 Payment. 

(a) Payments under this subpart shall 

be determined by multiplying: 

(1) The payment rate, determined 

under § 1427.127, by 

(2) The net weight (gross weight 

minus the weight of bagging and ties) 

determined under paragraph (b) of this 

section, of eligible ELS cotton bales that 

an eligible domestic user opens or an 

eligible exporter exports during the 

Friday through Thursday period 

following a week in which a payment 

rate is established. 

(b) For the purposes of this subpart, 

the net weight shall be based upon: 

(1) For domestic users, the weight on 

which settlement for payment of the 

ELS cotton was based (landed mill 

weight); 

(2) For exporters, the shipping 

warehouse weight or the gin weight if 

the ELS cotton was not placed in a 

warehouse, of the eligible cotton unless 

the exporter obtains and pays the cost 

of having all the bales in the shipment 

re-weighed by a licensed weigher and 

furnishes a copy of the certified weights. 

(c) For the purposes of this subpart, 

eligible ELS cotton will be considered: 

(1) Consumed by the domestic user on 

the date the bale is opened for 

consumption; and 

(2) Exported by the exporter on the 

date that CCC determines is the date on 

which the cotton is shipped for export. 

(d) Payments under this subpart shall 

be made available upon application for 

payment and submission of supporting 

documentation, as required by this 

subpart, CCC instructions, and the ELS 

Cotton Domestic User/Exporter 

Agreement. 

Signed in Washington, DC, on October 24, 

2005. 

Michael Yost, 

Acting Executive Vice President, Commodity 

Credit Corporation. 

[FR Doc. 05–22082 Filed 11–4–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Parts 21, 121, 135, 145, and 183 

[Docket No. FAA–2003–16685; Amendment 

Nos. 21–86, 121–311, 135–97, 145–23, and 

183–12] 

RIN 2120–AH79 

Establishment of Organization 

Designation Authorization Program 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final rule; Notice of Office of 

Management and Budget approval for 

information collection. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces the 

Office of Management and Budget’s 

approval of the information collection 

requirements in the final rule, 

Establishment of Organization 

Designation Authorization Program. 

Affected parties were not required to 

comply with the information collection 

requirements of this rule until a 

notification of OMB approval was 

published in the Federal Register. 

DATES: This rule was published in the 

Federal Register on October 13, 2005 

(70 FR 59932). The FAA received OMB 

approval for the information collection 

requirements on September 22, 2005. 

The final rule becomes effective on 

November 14, 2005, and affected parties 

will be required to comply with 

information collection requirements at 

that time. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

technical issues, Ralph Meyer, 

Delegation and Airworthiness Programs 

Branch, Aircraft Engineering Division 

(AIR–140), Aircraft Certification 

Service, Federal Aviation 

Administration, 6500 S. MacArthur 

Blvd, ARB Room 308, Oklahoma City, 

OK 73169; telephone (405) 954–7072; 

facsimile (405) 954–2209, e-mail 

ralph.meyer@faa.gov. For legal issues, 

Karen Petronis, Office of the Chief 

Counsel, Regulations Division (AGC–

200), Federal Aviation Administration, 

800 Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20591; telephone (202) 

267–3073; facsimile (202) 267–7971; email karen.petronis@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

On October 13, 2005, the FAA 

published the final rule, Establishment 

of Organization Designation 

Authorization Program (70 FR 59932). 

This rule contains information 

collection requirements in §§ 183.43, 

183.45, 183.53, 183.55, 183.57, 183.63, 

and 183.65. As we noted in the rule’s 

preamble, affected parties were not 

required to comply with these 

information collection requirements 

until the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) assigned a control 

number for them, and the FAA 

published the number in the Federal 

Register. 

According to the Paperwork 

Reduction Act, OMB approved the 

FAA’s request for information collection 

on September 22, 2005. Please note that 

an agency may not conduct or sponsor, 

and a person is not required to respond 

to, a collection of information unless the 

agency displays a currently valid OMB 

control number. The OMB control 

number associated with this collection 

is 2120–0704. The request was approved 

by OMB without change and expires on 

September 30, 2008. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on October 31, 

2005. 

Anthony F. Fazio, 

Director, Office of Rulemaking. 

[FR Doc. 05–22129 Filed 11–4–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–U