Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 115 / Thursday, June 13, 1996 / Rules and Regulations 29939

1 42 U.S.C. 6294

2 44 FR 66466, 16 CFR Part 305 (Nov. 19, 1979).

The Statement of Basis and Purpose for the final

Rule describes the reasons the Commission

determined not to cover the other categories of

covered products. Id. at 66467–69.

3 52 FR 46888 (Dec. 10, 1987).

4 54 FR 28031 (July 5, 1989).

5 58 FR 54955 (Oct. 25, 1993).

659 FR 25176 (May 13, 1994).

7 59 FR 34014.

8Reports for clothes washers are due March 1.

9 60 FR 27690.

under the criteria of the Regulatory

Flexibility Act.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 71

Airspace, Incorporation by reference,

Navigation (air).

Adoption of the Amendment

In consideration of the foregoing, the

Federal Aviation Administration

amends 14 CFR part 71 as follows:

PART 71—[AMENDED]

1. The authority citation for part 71

continues to read as follows:

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40103, 40113,

40120; E.O. 10854, 24 FR 9565, 3 CFR, 1959–

1963 Comp., p. 389; 14 CFR 11.69.

§ 71.1 [Amended]

2. The incorporation by reference in

14 CFR 71.1 of the Federal Aviation

Administration Order 7400.9C, Airspace

Designations and Reporting Points,

dated August 17, 1995, and effective

September 16, 1995, is amended as

follows:

Paragraph 2004—Jet Routes

* * * * *

J–86 [Revised]

From Beatty, NV; INT Beatty 131° and

Boulder City, NV, 284° radials; Boulder City;

Peach Springs, AZ; Winslow, AZ; El Paso,

TX; Fort Stockton, TX; Junction, TX; Austin,

TX; Humble, TX; Leeville, LA; INT Leeville

104° and Sarasota, FL, 286° radials; Sarasota;

INT Sarasota 103° and La Belle, FL, 313°

radials; La Belle; to Miami, FL.

* * * * *

J–92 [Revised]

From Klamath Falls, OR; via Mustang, NV,

Coaldale, NV; Beatty, NV; Boulder City, NV;

Drake, AZ; Phoenix, AZ; Stanfield, AZ; INT

of Stanfield 145° and Tucson, AZ, 300°

radials; Tucson; to the INT of Tucson 182°

radial and the United States/Mexican Border.

* * * * *

Issued in Washington, DC, on June 5, 1996.

Harold W. Becker,

Acting Program Director for Air Traffic

Airspace Management.

[FR Doc. 96–15062 Filed 6–12–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M

FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

16 CFR Part 305

Rule Concerning Disclosures

Regarding Energy Consumption and

Water use of Certain Home Appliances

and Other Products Required Under

the Energy Policy and Conservation

Act (‘‘Appliance Labeling Rule’’)

AGENCY: Federal Trade Commission.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: The Federal Trade

Commission amends its Appliance

Labeling Rule by publishing new ranges

of comparability to be used on required

labels for clothes washers.

EFFECTIVE DATE: September 11, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

James Mills, Attorney, Division of

Enforcement, Federal Trade

Commission, Washington, DC 20580

(202–326–3035).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section

324 of the Energy Policy and

Conservation Act of 1975

(‘‘EPCA’’) 1 requires the Federal Trade

Commission (‘‘Commission’’) to

consider labeling rules for the

disclosure of estimated annual energy

cost or alternative energy consumption

information for at least thirteen

categories of appliances. Clothes

washers are included in those

categories. The statute also requires the

Department of Energy (‘‘DOE’’) to

develop test procedures that measure

how much energy the appliances use. In

addition, DOE is required to determine

the representative average cost a

consumer pays for the different types of

energy available.

On November 19, 1979, the

Commission issued a final rule covering

seven of the thirteen appliance

categories that were then covered by

DOE test procedures: refrigerators and

refrigerator-freezers, freezers,

dishwashers, water heaters, clothes

washers, room air conditioners and

furnaces (this category includes

boilers).2 The Commission has extended

the coverage of the Appliance Labeling

Rule (’’Rule’’) four times since it

originally issued the Rule: in 1987

(central air conditioners, heat pumps,

and pulse combustion and condensing

furnaces); 3 1989 (fluorescent lamp

ballasts); 4 1993 (certain plumbing

products 5), and 1994 (certain lighting

products 6). On July 1, 1994, the

Commission amended the Rule to make

certain improvements, including

making the label format more ‘‘userfriendly,’’ changing the energy usage

descriptors required on labels, and

adopting new product sub-categories for

ranges of comparability purposes.7 In

addition to the new format, which

applies to labels for all products, the

changes for clothes washer labels are the

requirement to disclose kilowatt-hour

use per year (instead of estimated

annual operating cost) for the primary

energy usage disclosure and ranges of

comparability, and the addition of the

‘‘front-loading’’ and ‘‘top-loading’’ subcategories to the ‘‘standard’’ and

‘‘compact’’ categories.

Section 305.8(b) of the Rule requires

manufacturers, after filing an initial

report, to report annually by specified

dates for each product type.8 These

reports, which are to assist the

Commission in preparing the ranges of

comparability, contain the estimated

annual energy consumption or energy

efficiency ratings for the appliances

derived from tests performed pursuant

to the DOE test procedures. Because

manufacturers regularly add new

models to their lines, improve existing

models, and drop others, the data base

from which the ranges of comparability

are calculated is constantly changing.

To keep the required information

consistent with these changes, under

Section 305.10 of the Rule of

Commission will publish new ranges

(but not more often than annually) if an

analysis of the new information

indicates that the upper or lower limits

of the ranges have changed by more

than 15%. Otherwise, the Commission

will publish a statement that the prior

ranges remain in effect for the next year.

The annual submissions of data for

clothes washers have been made and

have been analyzed by the Commission.

The Commission has found a significant

number of the upper and lower limits of

the ranges have changed by more than

15%. Accordingly, the Commission is

publishing new ranges of comparability

for the clothes washer category. These

ranges will supersede the current ranges

for clothes washers, which were

published on May 25, 1995.9

In consideration of the foregoing, the

Commission revises Appendix F of its

Appliance Labeling Rule by publishing

the following ranges of comparability

for use in required disclosures

(including labeling) for clothes washers

manufactured on or after September 11,

1996. In addition, as of this effective

date, the disclosures of estimated

annual operating cost required at the

bottom of the EnergyGuide for clothes

washers must be based on the 1996

Representative Average Unit Costs of

Energy for electricity (8.6 cents per

kilowatt-hour) and natural gas (62.6

cents per therm) that were published by
29940 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 115 / Thursday, June 13, 1996 / Rules and Regulations

10 61 FR 1366.

11 61 FR 5679.

DOE on January 19, 1996,10 and by the

Commission on February 14, 1996.11

List of Subjects of 16 CFR Part 305

Advertising, Energy conservation,

Household appliances, Labeling,

Reporting and recordkeeping

requirements.

Accordingly, 16 CFR Part 305 is

amended as follows:

PART 305—[AMENDED]

1. The authority citation for Part 305

continues to read as follows:

Authority: 42 U.S.C. 6294.

2. Appendix F to Part 305 is revised

to read as follows:

Appendix F to Part 305—Clothes

Washers

Range Information

‘‘Compact’’ includes all household clothes

washers with a tub capacity of less than 1.6

cu. ft. or 13 gallons of water.

‘‘Standard’’ includes all household clothes

washers with a tub capacity of 1.6 cu. ft. or

13 gallons of water or more.

Capacity

Range of estimated annual

energy consumption (kWh/

yr.)

Low High

Compact:

Top Loading .................. 607 1061

Front Loading ................ (*) (*)

Standard:

Top Loading .................. 616 1335

Front Loading ................ 241 280

(*) No data submitted.

By direction of the Commission.

Donald S. Clark,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96–15022 Filed 6–12–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6750–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Bureau of Consular Affairs

22 CFR Part 51

[Public Notice Number 2401]

Passports

AGENCY: Bureau of Consular Affairs,

State.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: This rule amends the

regulations at 22 CFR Part 51, Subpart

B to eliminate obsolete language

regarding release of passport

information.

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 13, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Willaim B. Wharton, Director, Office of

Passport Policy and Advisory Services,

telephone (202) 955–0231.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Present

regulations provide for the release of

passport information in accordance with

the provisions of the Privacy Act, the

Freedom of Information Act and

applicable provisions of 22 CFR Part

171 and Part 172. This rule is not

expected to have significant impact on

a substantial number of small entities

under the criteria of the Regulatory

Flexibility Act. In addition, this rule

does not impose information collection

requirements under the provisions of

the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980.

This rule has been reviewed as required

by E.O. 12778 and certified to be in

compliance therewith. This rule is

exempt from review under E.O. 12866,

but has been reviewed internally by the

Department to ensure consistency with

the objectives thereof. In addition, as

this amendment involves ‘‘a matter

relating to agency management,’’ it is

exempt from the requirement of notice

and comment pursuant to section

553(a)(2) of the Administrative

Procedures Act; and, accordingly, it may

be promulgated as a final rule.

List of Subjects in 22 CFR Part 51

Passports and visas, Reporting and

recordkeeping requirements.

For the reasons set forth in the

preamble, 22 CFR Part 51 is amended as

follows:

PART 51—PASSPORTS

Subpart B—Application

1. The authority citation for section

51.33 is revised to read as follows:

Authority: 22 U.S.C. 2658 and 3926; 5

U.S.C. 552, 552a.

2. Section 51.33 is revised to read as

follows:

§ 51.33 Release of passport information.

Information in passport files is subject

to the provisions of the Freedom of

Information Act (FOIA) and the Privacy

Act. Release of this information may be

requested in accordance with the

implementing regulations set forth in

Subchapter R, Part 171 or Part 172 of

this title.

Dated: May 20, 1996.

Mary A. Ryan,

Assistant Secretary of State for Consular

Affairs.

[FR Doc. 96–14825 Filed 6–12–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710–06–M

22 CFR Parts 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87,

and 88

[Public Notice 2406]

Shipping and Seamen

AGENCY: Bureau of Consular Affairs,

State.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: As part of the President’s

Regulatory Reinvention Initiative, the

Bureau of Consular Affairs is repealing

all of its regulations on Shipping and

Seamen, which are found at 22 CFR

Parts 81 through 88. Several of the

current regulations are obsolete and

some of the regulations are merely

word-for-word repetitions of existing

statutes. At the same time, most of the

procedural aspects of consular work

relating to shipping and seamen are

covered in the Foreign Affairs Manual,

which provides guidance and

instructions to consuls performing these

responsibilities worldwide, and do not

need to be covered in regulations. The

Bureau is currently considering whether

to propose a replacement section, to be

designated as 22 CFR Part 80. If the

Bureau decides that such regulations are

necessary, it will propose new

regulations that will be up to date and

more appropriate in scope and content.

In the interim, the Department will

rely directly on its statutory authorities

in this area and the procedures in the

Foreign Affairs Manual to perform

shipping and seamen functions.

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 13, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Carmen A. DiPlacido, or Michael

Meszaros, Overseas Citizens Services,

Department of State, 202–647–3666 or

202–647–4994.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This rule

eliminates Parts 81 through 88 of the

Title 22 of the Code of Federal

Regulations. These rules relate to

consular services provided to seamen

and in connection with U.S. registered

vessels. In recent years, the number of

U.S. citizens serving as merchant

seamen has declined. Also, the number

of merchant vessels registered in the

United States has declined.

Proportionately, the quantity of consular

services provided to U.S. seamen has

also declined. Currently, very few

foreign service posts are called upon to