48006 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 159 / Friday, August 15, 2008 / Notices 

the Federal Government associated with 

the awarding and monitoring of SBIR 

funding agreements. 

As a result, SBA believes there will be 

negligible costs to the Federal 

Government with respect to the award 

and monitoring of SBIR funding 

agreements as a result of this rule. In 

addition, the potential decrease in the 

number of SBIR awards is not enough to 

significantly affect current small 

businesses. 

SBA expects the increase in award 

amount guidelines to allow 

participating agencies to more 

effectively cover the costs of some SBIR 

projects. This could increase the 

likelihood of success for some SBIRfunded projects. 

III. Alternatives to Regulatory Action 

In determining the appropriate 

adjustment to the threshold amounts, 

SBA considered the past changes in 

prices for the economy as a whole and 

for inputs into R&D activity. While 

different technology sectors have 

increased at different rates, SBA 

identified the general rise in prices of 

R&D inputs and decided to adjust the 

program-wide threshold amounts 

accordingly. SBA also determined that 

there are program advantages and 

efficiencies to maintaining the threshold 

amounts as relatively stable and 

rounded figures. SBA therefore rounded 

the inflation-adjusted amounts. 

Regulatory Flexibility Act 

The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) 

requires agencies to analyze the 

economic impact of proposed 

regulations on small entities and 

consider alternatives that would 

minimize the burden on these entities. 

5 U.S.C. 603. This RFA requirement 

only applies to regulations that are 

subject to notice and comment under 

the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) 

or any other law. 5 U.S.C. 533(b). 

Generally, the notice and comment 

requirement does not apply to 

interpretive rules, general statements of 

policy, or rules of agency organization, 

procedure and practice. Id at 

§ 553(b)(A). The SBIR Policy Directive is 

not a rule for RFA purposes. The Policy 

Directive is issued under authority of 

the Small Business Act (Act), which 

provides that the SBA shall ‘‘issue 

policy directives for the general conduct 

of the SBIR program within the Federal 

Government * * * ’’ 15 U.S.C. 638(j)(1). 

Therefore, no RFA analysis is required. 

Notice of Proposed Amendments to the 

Policy Directive; Small Business 

Innovation Research Program 

To: The Directors, Small Business 

Innovation Research (SBIR) Program 

Subject: Proposed Revisions to the SBIR 

Program Policy Directive concerning 

Phase I and Phase II Threshold 

Amounts 

1. Purpose. Section 9(j)(3) of the Small 

Business Act (Act) (15 U.S.C. 638(j)(3)) 

requires the Administrator of the U.S. 

Small Business Administration (SBA) to 

modify the SBIR Program Policy 

Directive as required for the general 

conduct of the SBIR Program within the 

Federal Government. Specifically, 

§ 9(j)(2) of the Act requires the SBA to 

increase the award amounts for Phase I 

and II to adjust for inflation or other 

economic or programmatic 

considerations once every five years. 

2. Authority. These proposed 

amendments to the Policy Directive are 

issued under the authority of 15 U.S.C. 

638(j). 

3. Procurement Regulations. The 

Federal Acquisition Regulations may 

need to be modified to conform to the 

requirements. Regulatory provisions 

that pertain to the areas of SBA 

responsibility will require approval of 

the SBA Administrator or designee. The 

SBA’s Office of Technology is the 

appropriate office for coordinating such 

regulatory provisions. 

4. Personnel Concerned. All Federal 

Government personnel who are 

involved in the administration of the 

program, including those involved with 

the issuance and management of 

funding agreements of the SBIR Program 

and the establishment of goals for small 

business concerns in research or 

research and development 

procurements or grants. 

5. Distribution. Federal Government 

agencies and departments participating 

in the SBIR Program and those required 

to establish small business research 

development goals as directed by § 9 of 

the Act (15 U.S.C. 638(j)). 

6. Originator. Office of Technology, 

SBA. 

7. Dates. The SBIR Program is 

authorized through September 30, 2008. 

These proposed amendments will be 

effective when issued as final in the 

Federal Register. 

Authorized By: Edsel Brown, Jr., 

Assistant Director, Office of 

Technology, U.S. Small Business 

Administration. 

For the reasons set forth in the 

preamble, SBA proposes to amend the 

SBIR Policy Directive as follows: 

1. Amend § 7(h)(1) by removing 

‘‘$100,000’’ and adding in its place 

‘‘150,000’’ and by removing ‘‘$750,000’’

and replacing it with ‘‘$1,000,000’’. 

2. Amend § 7(h)(2) by removing 

‘‘$100,000’’ and adding in its place 

‘‘150,000’’ and by removing ‘‘$750,000’’

and adding in its place ‘‘$1,000,000’’. 

3. Amend § 10(b)(7) by removing 

‘‘$100,000’’ and adding in its place 

‘‘150,000’’ and by removing ‘‘$750,000’’

and adding in its place ‘‘$1,000,000’’. 

Jovita Carranza, 

Acting Administrator, U.S. Small Business 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. E8–18914 Filed 8–14–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8025–01–P 

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 

Rustic Canyon Ventures SBIC, L.P. 

License No. 09/79–0450; Notice 

Seeking Exemption Under Section 312 

of the Small Business Investment Act, 

Conflicts of Interest 

Notice is hereby given that Rustic 

Canyon Ventures SBIC, L.P., 2425 

Olympic Blvd., Suite 6050 West, Santa 

Monica, CA 90404, a Federal Licensee 

under the Small Business Investment 

Act of 1958, as amended (‘‘the Act’’), in 

connection with the financing of a small 

concern, has sought an exemption under 

Section 312 of the Act and Section 

107.730, Financings which Constitute 

Conflicts of Interest of the Small 

Business Administration (‘‘SBA’’) Rules 

and Regulations (13 CFR 107.730 

(2008)). Rustic Canyon Ventures SBIC, 

L.P. proposes to provide equity security 

financing to Fulcrum BioEnergy, Inc., 

2425 Olympic Blvd., Suite 560 East, 

Santa Monica, CA 90404. The financing 

is contemplated for development and 

expansion of production facilities and 

for general corporate purposes. 

The financing is brought within the 

purview of § 107.730(a)(l) of the 

Regulations because US Renewables 

Group HoldCo III, LLC (‘‘USRG’’), an 

Associate of Rustic Canyon Ventures 

SBIC, L.P., owns more than ten percent 

of Fulcrum BioEnergy, Inc. Therefore, 

Fulcrum BioEnergy, Inc., is also 

considered an Associate of Rustic 

Canyon Ventures SBIC, L.P., as defined 

at 13 CFR 107.50 of the SBIC 

Regulations. 

Notice is hereby given that any 

interested person may submit written 

comments on the transaction to the 

Associate Administrator for Investment, 

U.S. Small Business Administration, 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 159 / Friday, August 15, 2008 / Notices 48007 

409 3rd Street, SW., Washington, DC 

20416. 

A. Joseph Shepard, 

Associate Administrator for Investment. 

[FR Doc. E8–18798 Filed 8–14–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8025–01–M 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 6322] 

Culturally Significant Objects Imported 

for Exhibition Determinations: 

‘‘Alexander Calder: The Paris Years, 

1926–33’’

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the 

following determinations: Pursuant to 

the authority vested in me by the Act of 

October 19, 1965 (79 Stat. 985; 22 U.S.C. 

2459), Executive Order 12047 of March 

27, 1978, the Foreign Affairs Reform and 

Restructuring Act of 1998 (112 Stat. 

2681, et seq.; 22 U.S.C. 6501 note, et 

seq.), Delegation of Authority No. 234 of 

October 1, 1999, Delegation of Authority 

No. 236 of October 19, 1999, as 

amended, and Delegation of Authority 

No. 257 of April 15, 2003 [68 FR 19875], 

I hereby determine that the objects to be 

included in the exhibition ‘‘Alexander 

Calder: The Paris Years, 1926–33,’’

imported from abroad for temporary 

exhibition within the United States, are 

of cultural significance. The objects are 

imported pursuant to loan agreements 

with the foreign owners or custodians. 

I also determine that the exhibition or 

display of the exhibit objects at the 

Whitney Museum of American Art, New 

York, NY, from on or about October 16, 

2008, until on or about February 15, 

2009, and at possible additional 

exhibitions or venues yet to be 

determined, is in the national interest. 

Public Notice of these Determinations is 

ordered to be published in the Federal 

Register. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information, including a list of 

the exhibit objects, contact Carol B. 

Epstein, Attorney-Adviser, Office of the 

Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of State 

(telephone: 202/453–8048). The address 

is U.S. Department of State, SA–44, 301 

4th Street, SW., Room 700, Washington, 

DC 20547–0001. 

Dated: August 11, 2008. 

C. Miller Crouch, 

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for 

Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department 

of State. 

[FR Doc. E8–18952 Filed 8–14–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 6321] 

Culturally Significant Objects Imported 

for Exhibition Determinations: ‘‘Art and 

Power in the Central African Savanna’’

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the 

following determinations: Pursuant to 

the authority vested in me by the Act of 

October 19, 1965 (79 Stat. 985; 22 U.S.C. 

2459), Executive Order 12047 of March 

27, 1978, the Foreign Affairs Reform and 

Restructuring Act of 1998 (112 Stat. 

2681, et seq.; 22 U.S.C. 6501 note, et 

seq.), Delegation of Authority No. 234 of 

October 1, 1999, Delegation of Authority 

No. 236 of October 19, 1999, as 

amended, and Delegation of Authority 

No. 257 of April 15, 2003 [68 FR 19875], 

I hereby determine that the objects in 

the exhibition: ‘‘Art and Power in the 

Central African Savanna,’’ imported 

from abroad for temporary exhibition 

within the United States, are of cultural 

significance. The objects are imported 

pursuant to loan agreements with the 

foreign owners or custodians. I also 

determine that the exhibition or display 

of the exhibit objects at the Menil 

Collection, Houston, TX, from on or 

about September 26, 2008, until on or 

about January 4, 2009, Cleveland 

Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH, from on 

or about March 1, 2009, until on or 

about June 7, 2009, Fine Arts Museum 

of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 

from on or about June 28, 2009, until on 

or about October 11, 2009, and at 

possible additional exhibitions or 

venues yet to be determined, is in the 

national interest. Public Notice of these 

Determinations is ordered to be 

published in the Federal Register. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information, including a list of 

the exhibit objects, contact Julie 

Simpson, Attorney-Adviser, Office of 

the Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of 

State (telephone: 202–453–8050). The 

address is U.S. Department of State, SA–

44, 301 4th Street, SW., Room 700, 

Washington, DC 20547–0001. 

Dated: August 11, 2008. 

C. Miller Crouch, 

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for 

Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department 

of State. 

[FR Doc. E8–18951 Filed 8–14–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 6319] 

Culturally Significant Objects Imported 

for Exhibition Determinations: 

‘‘Shigeyuki Kihara: Living 

Photographs’’

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the 

following determinations: Pursuant to 

the authority vested in me by the Act of 

October 19, 1965 (79 Stat. 985; 22 U.S.C. 

2459), Executive Order 12047 of March 

27, 1978, the Foreign Affairs Reform and 

Restructuring Act of 1998 (112 Stat. 

2681, et seq.; 22 U.S.C. 6501 note, et 

seq.), Delegation of Authority No. 234 of 

October 1, 1999, Delegation of Authority 

No. 236 of October 19, 1999, as 

amended, and Delegation of Authority 

No. 257 of April 15, 2003 [68 FR 19875], 

I hereby determine that the objects in 

the exhibition: ‘‘Shigeyuki Kihara: 

Living Photographs,’’ imported from 

abroad for temporary exhibition within 

the United States, are of cultural 

significance. The objects are imported 

pursuant to a loan agreement with the 

foreign owner or custodian. I also 

determine that the exhibition or display 

of the exhibit objects at the Metropolitan 

Museum of Art, New York, NY, from on 

or about October 7, 2008, until on or 

about February 1, 2009, and at possible 

additional exhibitions or venues yet to 

be determined, is in the national 

interest. Public Notice of these 

Determinations is ordered to be 

published in the Federal Register. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information, including a list of 

the exhibit objects, contact Julie 

Simpson, Attorney-Adviser, Office of 

the Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of 

State (telephone: 202–453–8050). The 

address is U.S. Department of State, SA–

44, 301 4th Street, SW., Room 700, 

Washington, DC 20547–0001. 

Dated: August 11, 2008. 

C. Miller Crouch, 

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for 

Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department 

of State. 

[FR Doc. E8–18962 Filed 8–14–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Office of the Secretary 

Privacy Act of 1974: System of 

Records 

AGENCY: Federal Highway 

Administration, Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES