[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 106 (Friday, June 2, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 28775-28776]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-13490]



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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
47 CFR Part 80

[CI Docket No. 95-55, FCC 95-171 ]


Inspection of Radio Installations on Large Cargo and Small 
Passenger Ships

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice of Inquiry.

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SUMMARY: The Commission has adopted a Notice of Inquiry (Notice) which 
begins a proceeding to review the Commission's current Rules regarding 
the inspection of ships for compliance with the Communications Act of 
1934 (Communications Act) and the International Convention for the 
Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (Safety Convention).

DATES: Comments must be filed on or before July 18, 1995, and reply 
comments must be filed on or before August 17, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications Commission, 1919 M Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20554.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
George R. Dillon of the Compliance and Information Bureau at (202) 418-
1100.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's Notice 
of Inquiry, CI Docket No. 95-55, FCC 95-171, adopted April 24, 1995, 
and released, May 16, 1995, The full text of this Notice of Inquiry is 
available for inspection and copying during normal business hours in 
the FCC Reference Center (Room 239) 1919 M Street, NW, Washington, DC. 
The complete text may be purchased from the Commission's copy 
contractor, International Transcription Services, 2100 M Street NW, 
Washington, DC 20037, telephone (202) 857-3800.

Summary of Notice of Inquiry

    1. The Commission is recommending amendments to the Communications 
Act that allows early implementation of the Global Maritime and 
Distress System (GMDSS) and that will permit changes to the way we 
inspect large cargo vessels and small passenger vessels. This notice 
begins a proceeding to review the Commission's current Rules regarding 
the inspection of ships for compliance with the Communications Act of 
1934 (Communications Act) and the International Convention for the 
Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (Safety Convention). We seek information 
that will allow us to streamline ship inspection procedures for the 
maritime services, to remove unnecessary rules, to improve service to 
the maritime community, and, above all else, to preserve maritime 
safety.
    2. This Notice is the initial step to develop and implement an 
overall strategy to improve the manner in which we conduct inspections 
without derogating the safety of life at sea.
    3. Commission inspectors currently conduct a thorough inspection of 
all of a ship's required radio equipment, from simple VHF maritime 
transmitters to complex satellite transmitting and receiving equipment. 
Inspectors are primarily responsive for ensuring that the radio 
transmitting and receiving equipment provides safety communications 
capability at the time of inspection. It is the ship operator's 
responsibility to ensure that the vessel is capable of providing safety 
communications at all other times. The Commission recognizes the 
importance of ensuring safety of life and property at sea. In 1990, we 
incorporated the GMDSS amendments to the Safety Convention in Part 80 
of our Rules, 47 CFR Part 80, to implement and internationally approved 
safety system. We have worked in conjunction with the United States 
Coast Guard on a recommendation to Congress that the United States 
amend the Communications Act to incorporate the GMDSS to replace the 
outdated manual Morse Call radiotelegraph requirements.
    4. We are conducting an inquiry into whether the policies and 
procedures that the Commission uses to inspect and verify that a radio 
installation on a U.S. vessel is properly installed and functions as 
intended during a distress can be simplified and streamlined. For 
example, an inspection of a large cargo vessel can take up to 6 hours, 
not including travel time, and is often highly complex. Commission 
inspectors note anecdotally, however, that the ship's captain often 
reports that the only time that one component, the medium frequency 
radiotelegraph installation, is used is during the annual FCC 
inspection.
    5. Although the inspections the Commission currently conducts for 
large cargo vessels are complex, the inspections required in the GMDSS 
may not be quite as complicated because much of the equipment will 
incorporate self-test features. Further, many of the inspections the 
Commission conducts for small passenger vessels are relatively simple 
and generally take no more than an hour to complete. All of the 
[[Page 28776]] inspections are conducted to ensure that ships have a 
reliable means of distress communications in an emergency.
    6. We believe in the principle that government should be responsive 
to user needs and began this proceeding to promote flexibility, to 
improve our inspection process by removing unnecessary and inimical 
policies and, most importantly, provide better service to the public. 
In summary, we believe that it is both necessary and timely to commence 
a thorough review of the policies, rules and procedures that the 
Commission uses to regulate the inspection of compulsorily equipped 
ships. The primary purpose of this Notice is to compile a complete 
record that will (1) allow us to improve current inspections processes, 
(2) develop a technically sufficient regulatory environment for the 
inspection of ships subject to the GMDSS, and (3) provide an overall 
strategy on how to best utilize private sector entities to inspect 
compulsory ship stations.

7. Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis

    An Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis is not required.

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 80

    Communications equipment, Radio, Reporting and recordkeepinkg 
requirements.

Federal Communications Commission.
William F. Caton,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 95-13490 Filed 6-1-95; 8:45 am]
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