57406 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 192 / Thursday, October 2, 2008 / Notices 

Issued in Washington, DC on September 

26, 2008. 

D.J. Stadtler, 

Director, Office of Financial Management, 

Federal Railroad Administration. 

[FR Doc. E8–23276 Filed 10–1–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Maritime Administration 

Maritime Security Program 

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, 

Department of Transportation. 

ACTION: Applications are now being 

received for one Maritime Security 

Program (MSP) Operating Agreement. 

SUMMARY: The Maritime Administration 

(MARAD) is issuing this request for 

applications for one eligible vessel to fill 

one MSP Operating Agreement in 

accordance with the provisions of 

Subtitle C, Title XXXV of the National 

Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 

Year 2004, the Maritime Security Act of 

2003 (MSA 2003). The MSA 2003 

authorizes the creation of a Maritime 

Security Program (MSP) that establishes 

a fleet of active, commercially viable, 

privately owned vessels to meet 

national defense and other security 

requirements and to maintain a United 

States presence in international 

commercial shipping. This request for 

applications provides, among other 

things, application criteria and a 

deadline for submitting applications for 

enrollment of one vessel in the MSP. 

Applications 

Applications are available by 

electronic mail. Please send requests for 

applications to Peter.Petrelis@dot.gov. 

DATES: Application Due Date: 

Applications for enrollment of one 

vessel in the MSP are November 3, 

2008. Applications should be submitted 

to the address listed in the ADDRESSES

section below. 

ADDRESSES: Application Submission: 

Submit applications for enrollment of 

vessels in the MSP to Peter E. Petrelis, 

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sealift 

Support, W25–324, Maritime 

Administration, U.S. Department of 

Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Peter E. Petrelis, Acting Deputy 

Director, Office of Sealift Support, 

Maritime Administration, Telephone 

202–366–6252. For legal questions, call 

Murray Bloom, Chief, Division of 

Maritime Programs, Maritime 

Administration, 202–366–5320. For 

military utility questions, call LTC Tony 

Moritz, United States Transportation 

Command, 618–229–1451/1529. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

On November 24, 2003, the President 

signed the National Defense 

Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004, 

which contained the MSA 2003 creating 

a new MSP from FY 2006 through FY 

2015. This program also provides 

financial assistance to operators of U.S.- 

flag vessels that meet certain 

qualifications. The MSA 2003 requires 

that the Secretary of Transportation 

(Secretary), in consultation with the 

Secretary of Defense (Sec Def), establish 

a fleet of active, commercially viable, 

militarily useful, privately-owned 

vessels to meet national defense and 

other security requirements. Section 

53111 of the MSA 2003 authorizes $156 

million annually for FYs 2006, 2007, 

and 2008; $174 million annually for FYs 

2009, 2010, and 2011; and $186 million 

annually for FYs 2012, 2013, 2014, and 

2015 to support the operation of up to 

60 U.S.-flag vessels in the foreign 

commerce of the United States. 

Payments to participating operators are 

limited to $2.6 million per ship per year 

for FYs 2006 through 2008, $2.9 million 

per ship per year for FYs 2009 through 

2011, and $3.1 million per ship per year 

for FYs 2012 through 2015. Payments 

are subject to annual appropriations. 

Participating operators are required to 

make their commercial transportation 

resources available upon request by the 

SecDef during times of war or national 

emergency. 

Application Criteria 

The implementing MSP Regulations 

at 46 CFR 296.24(b)(2) provide that 

awards made subsequent to October 1, 

2005, including the re-award of 

temporary agreements, must meet the 

ownership and operational 

requirements of 46 U.S.C. 53103(c) (i.e., 

priority of awards), and 46 CFR 

296.24(b)(3) further stipulates that 

priority of subsequent awards will be 

assigned in accordance with 

requirements specified by the SecDef. 

Any re-award of an MSP Operating 

Agreement, or replacement of a vessel 

under an Agreement, is subject to 

approval by the SecDef, by and through 

the United States Transportation 

Command (USTRANSCOM). 

The recipient of an Agreement is 

required to meet the citizenship 

eligibility requirements specified in 46 

U.S.C. Chapter 531 and the 

implementing regulations at 46 CFR Part 

296. Applicants with a vessel that meets 

program requirements, and who are 

citizens of the United States within the 

meaning of 46 U.S.C. 50501 will be 

given first consideration. In the event 

that no applicants meet this citizenship 

requirement, the Maritime 

Administration and USTRANSCOM 

will consider other citizenship 

categories. 

Vessel Requirements 

Acceptable vessels for this MSP 

Operating Agreement must meet the 

requirements of 46 U.S.C. 53102(b) and 

46 CFR § 296.11. The Commander, 

USTRANSCOM, established general 

evaluation criteria for operational 

requirements for eligible MSP vessels. 

Payments 

The applicant chosen for this MSP 

Operating Agreement will be eligible for 

payments in accordance with 46 U.S.C. 

53106 and 46 CFR 296.41. 

Maintenance and Repair (M&R) Work 

Agreement Requirement 

Subtitle A, section 3517 of the MSA 

2003 provides for a pilot program under 

which the Secretary of Transportation 

shall, subject to the availability of 

appropriations, require one or more 

persons to enter into an agreement 

under this section as a condition of 

awarding an operating agreement to the 

person under chapter 531 of title 46, 

United States Code, for one or more 

vessels that normally make port calls in 

the United States. All qualified 

maintenance and repair on the vessel 

shall be performed in the United States. 

The MSP contractor shall be reimbursed 

for the costs of qualified maintenance or 

repair performed in the United States 

versus the difference in cost of 

performing this work in a geographic 

region in which the MSP vessel 

generally operates. The recipient of this 

Agreement is required to sign an MSP 

M&R agreement which stipulates that in 

the event that sufficient M&R funding is 

available, the MSP contractor will 

commit to perform M&R work in a U.S. 

shipyard. 

National Security Requirements 

The applicant chosen to receive the 

MSP Operating Agreement will be 

required to enter into an Emergency 

Preparedness Agreement (EPA) 

pursuant to section 53107 of the MSA 

2003. The EPA shall be a document 

incorporating the terms of the Voluntary 

Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA), as 

approved by the Secretary and the 

SecDef, or other agreement approved by 

the Secretaries. 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 192 / Thursday, October 2, 2008 / Notices 57407 

Documentation 

The vessel chosen to receive the MSP 

Operating Agreement, if a foreign-flag 

vessel, must be documented as a U.S.- 

flag vessel under 46 U.S.C. chapter 121 

prior to being eligible for MSP 

payments. Further, proof of U.S. Coast 

Guard vessel documentation and all 

relevant charter and management 

agreements for the chosen vessel must 

be approved by the Maritime 

Administration before the vessel is 

eligible to receive MSP payments. 

Vessel Operation 

The vessel chosen to receive the MSP 

Operating Agreement must be operated 

exclusively in the U.S.-foreign trade or 

in mixed foreign and domestic trade 

allowed under a registry endorsement 

issued under 46 U.S.C. 12105, except for 

tankers, which may be operated in 

foreign-to-foreign commerce, and shall 

not otherwise be operated in the 

coastwise trade of the United States. 

Obligation of the U.S. Government 

The amounts payable as MSP 

payments under an MSP Operating 

Agreement shall constitute a contractual 

obligation of the United States 

Government to the extent of available 

appropriations. 

Merchant Marine Academy Cadets 

The MSP Operator shall agree to carry 

two Merchant Marine Academy cadets, 

if available, on each voyage. 

Approval 

The Secretary in conjunction with the 

SecDef may approve applications to 

enter into an MSP Operating Agreement 

and make MSP Payments with respect 

to vessels that are determined by the 

Secretary to be the most commercially 

viable and those that are deemed by the 

SecDef to be most militarily useful for 

meeting the sealift needs of the United 

States in time of war or national 

emergencies. 

By Order of the Maritime Administrator. 

Dated: September 26, 2008. 

Murray A. Bloom, 

Acting Secretary, Maritime Administration. 

[FR Doc. E8–23189 Filed 10–1–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–81–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

September 22, 2008. 

The Department of Treasury will 

submit the following public information 

collection requirement(s) to OMB for 

review and clearance under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 

Public Law 104–13 on or after the date 

of publication of this notice. Copies of 

the submission(s) may be obtained by 

calling the Treasury Bureau Clearance 

Officer listed. Comments regarding this 

information collection should be 

addressed to the OMB reviewer listed 

and to the Treasury Department 

Clearance Officer, Department of the 

Treasury, Room 11000, and 1750 

Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. Washington, 

DC 20220. 

DATES: Written comments should be 

received on or before November 3, 2008 

to be assured of consideration. 

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) 

OMB Number: 1545–2099. 

Type of Review: Extension. 

Title: Excise Tax on Certain Transfers 

of Qualifying Geothermal or Mineral 

Interests. 

Forms: 8924. 

Description: Form 8924, Excise Tax 

on Certain Transfers of Qualifying 

Geothermal or Mineral Interests, is 

required by Section 403 of the Tax 

Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 

which imposes an excise tax on certain 

transfers of qualifying mineral or 

geothermal interests. 

Respondents: Businesses or other forprofit institutions. 

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 555 

hours. 

OMB Number: 1545–1073. 

Type of Review: Extension. 

Title: Credit for Prior Year Minimum 

Tax—Individuals, Estates and Trusts. 

Forms: 8801. 

Description: Form 8801 is used by 

individuals, estates, and trusts to 

compute the minimum tax credit, if any, 

available from a tax year beginning after 

1986 to be used in the current year or 

to be carried forward for use in a future 

year. 

Respondents: Individuals or 

Households. 

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 89,107 

hours. 

OMB Number: 1545–1498. 

Type of Review: Extension. 

Title: REG–209826–96 (NPRM) 

Application of the Grantor Trust Rules 

to Nonexempt Employees’ Trusts. 

Description: The regulations provide 

rules for the application of the grantor 

trust rules to certain nonexempt 

employees’ trusts. Taxpayers must 

indicate on a return that they are relying 

on a special rule to reduce the 

overfunded amount of the trust. 

Respondents: Businesses or other forprofit institutions. 

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 1,000 

hours. 

OMB Number: 1545–0090. 

Type of Review: Revision. 

Title: Form 1040–SS, U.S. SelfEmployment Tax Return; Form 1040– 

PR, Planilla Para La Declaracion De La 

Contribucion Federal Sobre El Trabajo 

Por Cuenta Propia—Puerto Rico; and 

Anejo H–PR. 

Forms: 1040–SS, 1040–PR, Anexo H– 

PR. 

Description: Form 1040–S (Virgin 

Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and 

the Northern Mariana Islands) and 

1040–PR (Puerto Rico) are used by selfemployed individuals to figure and 

report self-employment tax under IRC 

chapter 2 of Subtitle A, and provide 

credit to the taxpayer’s social security 

account. Anejo H–PR is used to 

compute household employment taxes. 

Form 1040–SS and Form 1040–PR are 

also used by bona-fide residents of 

Puerto Rico to claim the additional 

child tax credit. 

Respondents: Individuals or 

Households. 

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 

2,880,460 hours. 

OMB Number: 1545–1796. 

Type of Review: Extension. 

Title: REG–106879–00 (Final) 

Consolidated Loss Recapture Events. 

Description: This document contains 

final regulations under section 1503(d) 

regarding the events that require the 

recapture of dual consolidated losses. 

These regulations are issued to facilitate 

compliance by taxpayers with the dual 

consolidated loss provisions. The 

regulations generally provide that 

certain events will not trigger recapture 

of a dual consolidated loss or payment 

of the associated interest charge. The 

regulations provide for the filing of 

certain agreements in such cases. This 

document also makes clarifying and 

conforming changes to the current 

regulations. 

Respondents: Businesses or other forprofit institutions. 

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 60 

hours. 

OMB Number: 1545–1935. 

Type of Review: Extension. 

Title: Notice 2005–40, election to 

defer net experience loss in a 

multiemployer plan. 

Description: This notice describes the 

election that must be filed by an eligible 

multiemployer plan’s enrolled actuary 

to the Service in order to defer a net 

experience loss. The notice also 

describes the notification that must be 

given to plan participants and 

beneficiaries, to labor organizations, to 

contributing employers and to the 

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation 

within 30 days of making an election 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES