[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 154 (Tuesday, August 11, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 42801-42802]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-21491]


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FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION

46 CFR Part 514

[Docket No. 98-10]


Inquiry into Automated Tariff Filing Systems as Proposed by the 
Pending Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1998

AGENCY: Federal Maritime Commission.

ACTION: Notice of inquiry; Extension of time.

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SUMMARY: Upon consideration of a request from counsel for various 
carrier agreements and ocean common carriers a limited extension of 
time to comment on the Notice of Inquiry in this matter is granted.

DATES: Comments due on or before August 25, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Send comments (original and 20 copies) to: Joseph C. 
Polking, Secretary, Federal Maritime Commission, 800 North Capitol 
Street, NW, Washington DC 20573-0001, (202) 523-5725.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Bryant L. VanBrakle, Director, Bureau of Tariffs, Certification and 
Licensing, Federal Maritime Commission, 800 North Capitol Street, NW, 
Washington, DC 20573-0001, (202) 523-5796
Thomas Panebianco, General Counsel, Federal Maritime Commission, 800 
North Capitol Street, NW, Washington, DC 20573-0001, (202) 523-5740.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission on July 9, 1998, (63 FR 
37088) published a Notice of Inquiry (``NOI'') to help determine an 
approach that will produce automated tariff publication systems and 
service contract filings that best comport with the directives of S. 
414, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1998, and its legislative 
history. The Commission directed comments to be filed by August 10, 
1998, recognizing that S. 414 was awaiting action in the House of 
Representatives and that passage there before adjournment could leave a 
very short time period to adopt final implementing rules by the March 
1, 1999, deadline contained in S. 414.
    Counsel for numerous carrier agreements and ocean common carriers 
now have requested a 30-day extension of the comment period to 
September 11, 1998. As justification therefore counsel refer to the 
fact that S. 414 has not yet been passed by the House and it would be 
``premature and speculative to offer comments on how it should be 
implemented.'' Counsel further suggest that because of the uncertainty 
of the legislative process they have been ``reluctant to devote much 
time'' to the matter and ``have not had an opportunity to meet and 
discuss these issues.''
    The Commission, in establishing the August 10 comment deadline, 
recognized that enactment of S. 414 in its current form was not a 
certainty, but nevertheless determined that time constraints required 
that the NOI go forward. Nothing has changed in this regard although 
the House of Representatives on August 4 passed a slightly modified 
version of S. 414. Given the S. 414 time constraints, the Commission 
must continue to proceed expeditiously and cannot accommodate a 30-day 
extension request. Nevertheless, a 15-day extension to August 25, 1998, 
will be granted in the interest of maximizing public participation in 
the NOI. The demands inherent in meeting the proposed statutory 
timetable may preclude comments received after that date from

[[Page 42802]]

being considered in the preparation of a proposed rule.
Joseph C. Polking,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-21491 Filed 8-10-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6730-01-M