1842 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 16 / Wednesday, January 24, 1996 / Rules and Regulations

Dated: January 17, 1996.

Joel Jay Schaer,

Regulations Officer.

[FR Doc. 96–911 Filed 1–23–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4150–04–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

49 CFR Chapter X

[STB Ex Parte No. 525]

Surface Transportation Board;

Transfer of Regulations from the

Interstate Commerce Commission to

the Surface Transportation Board

Pursuant to the ICC Termination Act of

1995

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: Effective January 1, 1996, the

ICC Termination Act of 1995 (the Act),

abolished the Interstate Commerce

Commission (the Commission) and

established within the Department of

Transportation (DOT) the Surface

Transportation Board (the Board). The

Act provides that the Board shall

perform a number of functions

previously performed by the

Commission. The Act further provides

that, with certain exceptions, all

regulations previously issued by the

Commission shall continue in effect

according to their terms until modified

or terminated. The Board is therefore

changing the name of the agency in the

heading of the chapter in which the

Commission’s (now the Board’s)

regulations are issued, chapter X of

subtitle B of title 49 of the Code of

Federal Regulations.

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Beryl Gordon, (202) 927–5610. [TDD for

the hearing impaired: (202) 927–5721.]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Effective

January 1, 1996, the ICC Termination

Act of 1995, Pub. L. No. 104–88, 109

Stat. 803, abolished the Commission

and established the Board within DOT.

See Act sections 2 (effective date) and

101 (abolition of the Commission). See

also 49 U.S.C. 701 (establishment of the

Board within DOT), as added by Act

section 201(a).

The Act provides that, with certain

exceptions, all regulations previously

issued by the Commission and in effect

on January 1, 1996, shall continue in

effect according to their terms until

modified, terminated, superseded, set

aside, or revoked in accordance with

law by the Board, any other authorized

official, a court of competent

jurisdiction, or operation of law. See Act

section 204(a).

The Act further provides that, except

as otherwise provided in the Act or in

the amendments made thereby, the

Board shall perform all functions that,

immediately prior to January 1, 1996,

were functions of the Commission or

were performed by any officer or

employee of the Commission in the

capacity as such officer or employee.

See 49 U.S.C. 702, as added by Act

section 201(a). See also 49 U.S.C. 721(a)

(authority of the Board to prescribe

regulations), also as added by Act

section 201(a).

Because the regulations previously

issued by the Commission are now

subject, for the most part, to the

jurisdiction of the Board, the Board, by

the action taken here, is changing the

name of the agency in the heading of the

chapter in which the Board’s (formerly

the Commission’s) regulations are

issued, chapter X of subtitle B of title 49

of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Because this action merely reflects, and

is required by, the enactment of the Act

and will not have an adverse effect on

the interests of any person, this action

will be deemed to be effective as of

January 1, 1996.

The Act makes numerous and

substantial changes in subtitle IV of title

49, United States Code, and the Board

intends to proceed, as expeditiously as

its resources allow, to issue certain new

regulations required by the Act and to

conform its old regulations to the

changes in the laws it administers. The

actions taken in issuing new regulations

and in revising old regulations will be,

to varying degrees, substantive in

nature. The action taken today, by

contrast, is ministerial in nature: it

simply changes the name of the agency

in the heading of chapter X.

All persons referencing the chapter X

regulations should be advised that

certain of these regulations will

henceforth be administered, in whole or

in part, by the Secretary of

Transportation. Such regulations will

ultimately be removed from this

chapter. See 49 U.S.C. 13101 to 14914

(authority of the Secretary of

Transportation to administer, in part, 49

U.S.C. Subtitle IV, Part B), as added by

Act section 103.

This action will not significantly

affect either the quality of the human

environment or the conservation of

energy resources.

Decided: January 18, 1996.

By the Board, Chairman Morgan, Vice

Chairman Simmons, and Board Member

Owen.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

For the reasons set forth in the

preamble and under the authority of 49

U.S.C. 721(a), title 49, subtitle B of the

Code of Federal Regulations is amended

by revising the heading for chapter X to

read as follows:

CHAPTER X—SURFACE

TRANSPORTATION BOARD, DEPARTMENT

OF TRANSPORTATION

[FR Doc. 96–1155 Filed 1–23–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

Federal Highway Administration

49 CFR Parts 382, 385, 391, 393, and

397

RIN 2125–AD71

Federal Motor Carrier Safety

Regulations; Technical Amendments

AGENCY: Federal Highway

Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule; technical

amendments.

SUMMARY: This document makes

technical amendments to various

sections of the Federal Motor Carrier

Safety Regulations to correct erroneous

cross-references and to amend

references in which the regulations

referenced have been redesignated or

removed. In addition, a cautionary note

is added to appendix B of 49 CFR

chapter III, subchapter B, to alert users

of the CFR, that this appendix relates

solely to Federal authority, has no

application to a State’s authority to

enforce adopted regulations, and is not

to be included in its present form in any

general adoption of the regulations by

the States.

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 24, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Neill Thomas, (202) 366–4009, Office of

Motor Carrier Research and Standards,

or Paul L. Brennan, Office of Chief

Counsel, (202) 366–0834. Office hours

are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., e.t.,

Monday through Friday, except Federal

holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Rulemaking Analyses and Notices

Because this final rule simply amends

various sections of the Federal Motor

Carrier Safety Regulations to correct

erroneous cross-references and to insert

a missing subpart heading, the FHWA

believes that prior notice and

opportunity for comment are