[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 191 (Tuesday, October 1, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51312-51314]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-24421]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Coast Guard
[CGD 96-048]


National Boating Safety Activities: Funding for National 
Nonprofit Public Service Organizations

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is seeking to enter into financial assistance 
agreements with national nonprofit public service organizations to 
promote boating safety on the national level. This announcement seeks 
proposals for projects that might be eligible for this assistance.

DATES: Application packages may be obtained on or after October 1, 
1996. Proposals must be received before 4:30 p.m. eastern time December 
31, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Application packages may be obtained from Coast Guard 
Customer Infoline (800) 368-5647 and proposals submitted to Commandant 
(G-OPB-1g), U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100 Second Street SW., Room 
3100, Washington, DC 20593-0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ms. Betty Alley, Office of Boating Safety, U.S. Coast Guard (G-OPB-1g/
room 3100), 2100 Second Street SW., Washington, DC 20593-0001; (202) 
267-0954.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title 26, United States Code, section 9504, 
establishes the Boat Safety Account of the Aquatic Resources Trust 
Fund. The Coast Guard may award up to 5 percent of the available funds 
to national, nonprofit, public service organizations to promote 
national boating safety. It is anticipated that $2,250,000 will be 
available for fiscal year 1997. Fifteen awards totalling $1,500,000 
were made in fiscal year 1996 ranging from $10,000 to $396,286. Nothing 
in this announcement should be construed as committing the Coast Guard 
to dividing available funds among qualified applicants or awarding any 
specified amount.
    It is anticipated that several awards will be made by the Director, 
Operations Policy, U.S. Coast Guard. Applicants must be 
nongovernmental, nonprofit, public service organizations and must 
establish that their activities are, in fact, national in scope. An 
application package may be obtained by writing or calling the point of 
contact listed in ADDRESSES on or after October 1, 1996. The 
application package contains all necessary forms, an explanation of how 
the grant program is administered, and a checklist for submitting a 
grant application. Specific information on organization eligibility, 
proposal requirements, award procedures, and financial administration 
procedures may be obtained by contacting the person listed in FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    Some general areas of continuing and particular interest for grant 
funding include the following:
    1. Develop and Conduct a National Annual Safe Boating Campaign. The 
Coast Guard seeks a grantee to develop and conduct the 1998 year-round 
National Annual Safe Boating Campaign that targets specific boater 
market segments and recreational boating safety topics. This year-round 
campaign must support the organizational objectives of the Recreational 
Boating Safety Program to save lives, reduce the number of boating 
accidents and associated health care costs as well as support the

[[Page 51313]]

nationwide grassroots activity of the many volunteer groups who 
coordinate local media events, education programs, and public awareness 
activities. Products must include, but are not limited to: situation 
analysis, post campaign component evaluation processes, measures of 
effectiveness, marketing strategy, distribution plan, and final report. 
All print, audio and video material must be designed to emphasize 
multiple year-round boating safety and accident prevention messages. 
Highlights of the Calendar Year 1998 national campaign will be special 
select materials and activities to support National Safe Boating Week 
and other selected boating events. The major focus of the campaign will 
be affecting the behavior of all boaters to increase wearability of 
Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs), with special emphasis on use by 
children. An established portion of allocated grant funds must support 
a National Boating Accident Reporting Awareness Program that is 
designed to reach all boaters and with a message on the importance of 
reporting all boating accidents as well as a propeller injury 
prevention awareness initiative. Efforts will also be coordinated, year 
round, with other national transportation safety activities and special 
media events, in particular those which focus on the prevention of 
operating a boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Point of 
Contact: Ms. Jo Calkin, (202) 267-0994.
    2. Develop and Conduct a National Recreational Boating Safety 
Outreach and Awareness Conference. The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to 
plan, implement, and conduct a National Recreational Boating Safety 
Outreach and Awareness Conference. This conference must support the 
organizational objectives of the Recreational Boating Safety Program to 
save lives, reduce the number of boating accidents, and lower 
associated health care coasts. The conference should be scheduled for 
the spring of 1998 and be held concurrent or consecutively with 
additional major national recreational boating safety and aquatic 
symposiums. The design of the conference should enhance the awareness 
and development of paid and volunteer professionals; national, state, 
and local boating safety program organization leaders; and industry 
specialists. It should provide a unifying link between their programs 
to those on the national level. The conference should be a 
collaborative effort of national organizations interested in the 
betterment of boating and aquatic safety and should include, but not be 
limited to, plenary sessions, hands-on workshops, and the distribution 
of a post conference report publication describing the activities of 
the conference. Products should include, but are not limited to, 
evaluation processes, measures of effectiveness, marketing strategy, 
and final report. Point of Contact: Ms. Jo Calkin, (202) 267-0994.
    3. Information Resources Management: Recreational Boating Safety 
Measures of Effectiveness Data Capture Project Phase II. The Coast 
Guard seeks a grantee to conduct the second phase of a Recreational 
Boating Safety Measures of Effectiveness (MOE) project. The first phase 
(FY 1995 grant) identified data elements and data sources needed to 
develop risk based measures of program effectiveness. The second phase 
(FY 1997 phase) would be contingent on the findings of the first phase 
regarding the need for and extent of data collection. If it is 
determined that the second phase of the project is necessary, the 
grantee would collect the data elements identified under the FY95 
project. The overall goal of the 1997 project would be to determine 
boat occupant exposure hours for developing risk-based measures of 
effectiveness for the Recreational Boating Safety Program. Point of 
Contact: Mr. Bruce Schmidt, (202) 267-0955.
    4. Recreational Boating Accident Health Care Cost Model. The Coast 
Guard seeks a grantee to evaluate and modify existing transportation 
injury cost models that will be used to determine the societal costs of 
recreational boating accidents. The grant recipient would adapt 
existing models to enable U.S. Coast Guard to perform analyses of 
boating injuries using a sufficient and statistically valid sample of 
injury data. The injury cost model would be used to categorize 
different types of injuries, their severity, and their associated 
health care costs, medical costs, legal costs, and administrative costs 
for comparison across various modes of transportation. Point of 
Contact: Mr. Bruce Schmidt, (202) 267-0955.
    5. Evaluative Study of Learning/Behavioral Objectives in Boating 
Safety Education. The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to conduct an 
evaluative study of the existing recreational boating safety course 
material and assist Coast Guard with establishing minimum, individual 
subject specific, `Standards of Care' for the Recreational Boating 
Safety Program. These ``standards'' (the by-products of various 
objectives) will be utilized in educating and training future 
recreational boaters; while establishing the national standards for 
RBS. The establishment of these ``Standards of Care'' must support the 
organizational objectives, as well as state oriented objectives of safe 
boat handling and prudent operator care while on the water.
    In addition, Coast Guard seeks grantee to conduct a study to 
evaluate the existing mandatory boating education programs to determine 
if they contribute significantly to the prevention of boating accidents 
and whether or not such programs help reduce complaints about unsafe 
and discourteous boat operation. Point of Contact: Mr. John Malatak, 
(202) 267-6286.
    6. State/Federal/Boating Organizations Cooperative Partnering 
Efforts. The Coast Guard seeks grantees to provide programs to 
encourage greater participation and uniformity in boating safety 
efforts. Applicants would provide a forum to encourage greater 
uniformity of boating laws and regulations, reciprocity among 
jurisdictions, and closer cooperation and assistance in developing, 
administering, and enforcing Federal and State laws and regulations 
pertaining to boating safety. Point of Contact: Ms. Jeanne Timmons, 
(202) 267-0857.
    7. Develop and Conduct Boating Accident Seminars. The Coast Guard 
seeks a grantee to develop and provide instructional materials and 
conduct training courses nationwide for boating accident investigators, 
including three courses at the Coast Guard Reserve Training Center in 
Yorktown, Virginia. Point of Contact: Mr. Gary Larimer, (202) 267-0986.
    8. Voluntary Standards Development Support. The Coast Guard seeks a 
grantee to carry out a program to encourage active participation by 
members of the public and other qualified persons, in the development 
of technically sound voluntary boating safety standards. Point of 
Contact: Mr. Peter Eikenberry, (202) 267-6894.
    9. Recreational Boat Hazard Analysis Methodology. The Coast Guard 
seeks a grantee to identify, characterize, and prioritize hazards 
aboard recreational boats that could lead to mishaps of concern. By 
applying hazard analysis methodology, decision makers would be able to 
determine what resources and intervention are necessary to eliminate, 
mitigate or monitor the risk of various hazards. The grantee shall 
develop a methodology for performing hazard analysis and risk 
assessment on recreational boats. Point of Contact: Mr. Rick Gipe, 
(202) 267-0985.
    10. Technology Comparison of Propellers, Propeller Guards, and Pump 
Jets. The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to

[[Page 51314]]

conduct tests comparing the operating efficiency, maneuverability 
characteristics, and protection factors of propeller/propeller guard 
combinations, pump jets, after-market pump jet installations, and 
conventional propellers. Point of Contact: Mr. Jay Doubt, (202) 267-
6810.
    11. Boat Occupant Protection. The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to 
develop recommendations for reducing recreational boating fatalities 
and injuries on boats less than 26 feet regarding capsizings, 
swampings, sinkings, and falls overboard, through analysis of such 
things as boat construction/design, stability, operating 
characteristics, and human factors engineering. Point of Contact: Mr. 
Rick Gipe, (202) 267-0985.
    Proposals addressing other boating safety concerns are welcome. A 
more detailed discussion of specific projects of interests to the Coast 
Guard may be obtained by contacting the Boating Safety Infoline at 
(800) 368-5647 and requesting a copy of a specific proposal. The 
Boating Safety Financial Assistance Program is listed in section 20.005 
of the Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog.

    Dated: September 17, 1996.
Michael F. McCormack,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Acting Director, Operations Policy.
[FR Doc. 96-24421 Filed 9-30-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-14-M