Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 100 / Tuesday, May 25, 2010 / Notices 29311 

submitting and reading comments are 

detailed on the site. 

• Hand Delivery/Courier Address: 

Karen W. Guagliardo, Review Branch 

Chief, Compliance Division, GIPSA, 

USDA, Room 1647–S, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20250. 

• Mail: Karen W. Guagliardo, Review 

Branch Chief, Compliance Division, 

GIPSA, USDA, STOP 3604, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–3604. 

• Fax: Karen W. Guagliardo, 202– 

690–2755. 

• E-mail: 

Karen.W.Guagliardo@usda.gov. 

Read Applications and Comments: All 

applications and comments will be 

available for public inspection at the 

office above during regular business 

hours (7 CFR 1.27(c)). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Karen W. Guagliardo, 202–720–8262 or 

Karen.W.Guagliardo@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 

7(f)(1) of the United States Grain 

Standards Act (USGSA) (7 U.S.C. 71– 

87k) authorizes GIPSA’s Administrator 

to designate a qualified applicant to 

provide official services in a specified 

area after determining that the applicant 

is better able than any other applicant 

to provide such official services. Under 

section 7(g)(1) of the USGSA, 

designations of official agencies are 

effective for 3 years unless terminated 

by the Secretary, but may be renewed 

according to the criteria and procedures 

prescribed in section 7(f) of the Act. 

Areas Open for Designation 

Columbus 

Pursuant to Section 7(f)(2) of the Act, 

the following geographic areas, in the 

States of Michigan and Ohio are 

assigned to this official agency: 

In Michigan: 

Jackson (east of U.S. Route 127 and south 

and west of State Road 50), Lenawee (east 

Bounded on the West by State Route 127 at 

the Michigan-Ohio State line north to State 

Route 50; Bounded on the north by State 

Route 50 at State Route 127 east to the 

Michigan State line; the Michigan state line 

south to the Michigan-Ohio State line. 

In Ohio: 

The northern Ohio State line east to the to 

the Ohio Pennsylvania State line; Bounded 

on the East by the Ohio-Pennsylvania State 

line south to the Ohio River; Bounded on the 

South by the Ohio River south-southwest to 

the western Scioto County line; and Bounded 

on the West by the western Scioto County 

line north to State Route 73; State Route 73 

northwest to U.S. Route 22; U.S. Route 22 

west to U.S. Route 68; U.S. Route 68 north 

to Clark County; the northern Clark County 

line west to State Route 560; State Route 560 

north to State Route 296; State Route 296 

west to Interstate 75; Interstate 75 north to 

State Route 47; State Route 47 northeast to 

U.S. Route 68 (including all of Sidney, Ohio); 

U.S. Route 68 north to the southern Hancock 

County line; the southern Hancock County 

line west to the western Hancock, Wood and 

Lucus County lines north to the MichiganOhio State line; the Michigan-Ohio State line 

west to State Route 127. 

Columbus’ assigned geographic area 

does not include those export port 

locations within their assigned 

geographic areas, which are serviced by 

GIPSA. 

Gulf Country 

Pursuant to Section 7(f)(2) of the Act, 

the following geographic areas, in the 

State of Texas are assigned to this 

official agency: 

Bounded on the North by the northern 

Young, Jack, Montague, Cooke, Grayson, 

Fannin, Lamar, Red River, Morris, and 

Marion County lines east to the Texas State 

line; Bounded on the East by the eastern 

Texas State line south to the southern Shelby 

County line; Bounded on the South by the 

southern Shelby, Rusk, Smith, Henderson, 

Navarro, Hill, Bosque, Hamilton, and Mills 

County lines west to the western Mills 

county line; and Bounded on the West by the 

western Mills, Comanche, Eastland, 

Stephens, and Young County lines north to 

the northern Young County line. 

Northeast Indiana 

Pursuant to Section 7(f)(2) of the Act, 

the following geographic areas, in the 

State of Indiana are assigned to this 

official agency: 

Bounded on the North by the northern 

Lagrange and Steuben County lines; Bounded 

on the East by the eastern Steuben, De Kalb, 

Allen, and Adams County lines; Bounded on 

the South by the southern Adams and Wells 

County lines; and Bounded on the West by 

the western Wells County line; the southern 

Huntington and Wabash County lines; the 

western Wabash County line north to State 

Route 114; State Route 114 northwest to State 

Route 19; State Route 19 north to Kosciusko 

County; the western and northern Kosciusko 

County lines; the western Noble and 

Lagrange County lines. 

The following grain elevator, located 

outside of the above contiguous 

geographic area, is part of this 

geographic area assignment: E.M.P. 

Coop, Payne, Paulding County, Ohio 

(located inside Michigan Grain 

Inspection Services, Inc.’s, area). 

Opportunity for Designation 

Interested persons or governmental 

agencies may apply for designation to 

provide official services in the 

geographic areas specified above under 

the provisions of section 7(f) of the 

USGSA and 7 CFR 800.196(d). 

Designation in the specified geographic 

areas is for the period beginning January 

1, 2011, and ending December 31, 2013. 

To apply for designation or for more 

information, contact Karen W. 

Guagliardo at the address listed above or 

visit GIPSA’s Web site at http:// 

www.gipsa.usda.gov. 

Request for Comments 

We are publishing this notice to 

provide interested persons the 

opportunity to comment on the quality 

of services provided by the Columbus, 

Gulf Country, and Northeast Indiana 

official agencies. In the designation 

process, we are particularly interested 

in receiving comments citing reasons 

and pertinent data supporting or 

objecting to the designation of the 

applicants. Submit all comments to 

Karen W. Guagliardo at the above 

address or at http:// 

www.regulations.gov. 

We consider applications, comments, 

and other available information when 

determining which applicant will be 

designated. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 71–87k. 

Marianne Plaus, 

Acting Administrator, Grain Inspection, 

Packers and Stockyards Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2010–12381 Filed 5–24–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–KD–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Grain Inspection, Packers and 

Stockyards Administration 

Solicitation of Nominations for 

Members of the USDA Grain Inspection 

Advisory Committee 

AGENCY: Grain Inspection, Packers and 

Stockyards Administration, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice reopening time period 

for soliciting nominees to the Grain 

Inspection Advisory Committee. 

SUMMARY: The Department of 

Agriculture’s (USDA) Grain Inspection, 

Packers and Stockyards Administration 

(GIPSA) is reopening the time period for 

submitting nominations for individuals 

to serve on the USDA Grain Inspection 

Advisory Committee (Advisory 

Committee) to invite additional 

nominations. USDA values diversity. In 

an effort to obtain nominations of 

diverse candidates, USDA encourages 

the nominations of men and women of 

all racial and ethnic groups. The 

Advisory Committee meets twice 

annually to advise GIPSA on the 

programs and services it delivers under 

the U.S. Grain Standards Act (USGSA). 

Recommendations by the Advisory 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
29312 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 100 / Tuesday, May 25, 2010 / Notices 

Committee help GIPSA better meet the 

needs of its customers who operate in a 

dynamic and changing marketplace. 

DATES: GIPSA will consider 

nominations received by June 24, 2010. 

ADDRESSES: Submit nominations for the 

Advisory Committee by completing 

form AD–755. Nominations may be 

submitted by: 

• E-Mail: Terri.L.Henry@usda.gov. 

• Mail: Terri Henry, GIPSA, USDA, 

1400 Independence Ave., SW., Room 

1633–S, Stop 3642, Washington, DC 

20250–3642. 

• Fax: (202) 690–2173. 

• Hand Delivery or Courier: Terri 

Henry, GIPSA, USDA, 1400 

Independence Ave., SW., Room 1633–S, 

Stop 3642, Washington, DC 20250– 

3642. 

• Internet: Go to http:// 

www.regulations.gov and follow the 

online instructions for submitting 

comments. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Terri L. Henry, telephone (202) 205– 

8281 or e-mail Terri.L.Henry@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As 

required by section 21 of the USGSA (7 

U.S.C. 87j), as amended, the Secretary of 

Agriculture established the Grain 

Inspection Advisory Committee to 

provide advice to the GIPSA 

Administrator on implementation of the 

USGSA. The current authority for the 

Advisory Committee expires on 

September 30, 2015. As specified in the 

USGSA, each member’s term is 3 years 

and no member may serve successive 

terms. 

The Advisory Committee consists of 

15 members, appointed by the 

Secretary, who represent the interests of 

grain producers, processors, handlers, 

merchandisers, consumers, exporters, 

and scientists with expertise in research 

related to the policies in section 2 of the 

USGSA (7 U.S.C. 74). Members of the 

Advisory Committee serve without 

compensation. USDA may reimburse 

members for travel expenses, including 

per diem in lieu of subsistence, for 

travel away from their homes or regular 

places of business in performance of 

Advisory Committee service (see 5 

U.S.C. 5703). 

A list of current Advisory Committee 

members and other relevant information 

are available on the GIPSA Web site at 

http://www.gipsa.usda.gov. Under the 

section ‘‘I Want To * * * ’’ select ‘‘Learn 

about the Advisory Committee.’’ 

On November 10, 2009, GIPSA 

published a notice in the Federal 

Register (74 FR 57991) soliciting 

nominations to serve on the Advisory 

Committee to replace five members and 

eight alternate members whose terms 

expired in March 2010. GIPSA is 

reopening for 30 days the time period 

for submitting additional nominations 

for individuals to serve on the Advisory 

Committee. 

Persons interested in serving on the 

Advisory Committee or nominating 

another individual to serve, may 

contact: Terri L. Henry by telephone at 

202–205–8281, by fax at 202–690–2173, 

or by electronic mail at 

Terri.L.Henry@usda.gov to request Form 

AD–755. Form AD–755 may also be 

obtained via GIPSA’s Web site at 

http://www.gipsa.usda.gov. Under the 

section ‘‘I Want To...’’ select ‘‘Learn 

about the Advisory Committee,’’ then 

select Form AD–755. To ensure that 

recommendations of the Advisory 

Committee take into account the needs 

of the diverse groups served by the 

USDA, nominations shall include, to the 

extent practicable, individuals with 

demonstrated ability and experience to 

represent the interests of racial and 

ethnic minorities, women, and persons 

with disabilities. 

The final selection of Advisory 

Committee members and alternates is 

made by the Secretary of Agriculture 

without regard to race, color, religion, 

sex, national origin, age, mental or 

physical disability, marital status, 

familial status, political beliefs, sexual 

orientation, or because all or part of 

their income is derived from public 

assistance. 

Marianne Plaus, 

Acting Administrator, Grain Inspection, 

Packers and Stockyards Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2010–12380 Filed 5–24–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–KD–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Patent and Trademark Office 

[Docket No.: PTO–2010–0031] 

Notice Regarding the Elimination of 

the Fee for Petitions To Make Special 

Filed Under the Patent Prosecution 

Highway (PPH) Programs 

AGENCY: United States Patent and 

Trademark Office, Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The United States Patent and 

Trademark Office (USPTO) is 

eliminating the fee for the petition to 

make special under the Patent 

Prosecution Highway (PPH) programs. 

Currently, applicants must pay a 

petition fee under 37 CFR 1.17(h) to 

have an application to enter into the 

PPH program. With the elimination of 

the fee, applicants will no longer have 

to pay the petition to make special fee 

in order to request an application enter 

all current pilot and fully implemented 

PPH programs. The elimination of the 

petition fee will simplify the PPH 

requirements and is expected to 

encourage greater PPH participation. 

Since 2006, the USPTO has 

implemented the Patent Prosecution 

Highway (PPH) programs with a number 

of patent offices as part of efforts to 

pursue work sharing to avoid 

duplication of work among patent 

offices, and for reducing its own 

pendency and backlog. Notices 

regarding the PPH programs are 

available on the USPTO Web site at: 

http://www.uspto.gov/patents/ 

init_events/pph/index.jsp. Until now, 

the PPH notices have indicated that a 

request for participation in the PPH 

program must be accompanied by a 

petition to make special under 37 CFR 

1.102(d) along with the required 

petition fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(h). 

The PPH applications have proven, on 

average, to take significantly less time to 

prosecute than non-PPH applications. 

Using the PPH process also increases 

the sharing and re-use of information 

(primarily search and examination 

results) between the USPTO and its 

partner patent offices. Improving the 

PPH framework to make it more userfriendly, and thereby encourage greater 

participation by applicants, would 

support the Office’s goal to optimize 

both the quality and timeliness of 

patents. Therefore, the USPTO has 

determined that all PPH applications 

will now be advanced out of turn for 

examination under 37 CFR 1.102(a) in 

order to expedite the business of the 

Office. Applications that are advanced 

out of turn under 37 CFR 1.102(a) do not 

require the petition fee set forth in 37 

CFR 1.17(h). Previously, applications 

were advanced out of turn under 37 CFR 

1.102(d). 

DATES: Effective Date: May 25, 2010. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Magdalen Greenlief, Office of the 

Associate Commissioner for Patent 

Examination Policy, by telephone at 

571–272–8140, by facsimile 

transmission to 571–273–8140, or by 

mail addressed to: Mail Stop 

Comments–Patents, Commissioner for 

Patents, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 

22313–1450. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PPH is a 

first concrete implementation of a worksharing framework which was jointly 

developed by the USPTO and the Japan 

Patent Office (JPO) in 2006 as a pilot 

project. The objective of the PPH is to 

promote work sharing while at the same 

time allowing applicants to obtain 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES