[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 110 (Wednesday, June 7, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36215-36218]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-14362]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Coast Guard
[USCG-2000-7465]
Recreational Boating Safety Projects, Programs and Activities
Funded Under Provisions of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st
Century; Accounting of
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: Subsection (c) of section 7405 of the Transportation Equity
Act for the 21st Century makes $5,000,000 available each of five fiscal
years to the Secretary of Transportation for personnel and activities
directly related to coordinating and carrying out the national
recreational boating safety program. The Act also requires that the
Secretary publish annually in the Federal Register a detailed
accounting of the projects, programs, and activities under this
subsection. This is the first report.
ADDRESSES: You may obtain a copy of this notice by calling the U. S.
Coast Guard Infoline at 1-800-368-5647. This notice is available on the
Internet at http://dms.dot.gov or at the Web Site for the Office of
Boating Safety at URL address www.uscgboating.org.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Captain Michael F. Holmes, USCG,
Chief, Office of Boating Safety, telephone 202-267-1077, fax 202-267-
4285, or Mr. Albert J. Marmo, Chief, Program Management Division,
telephone 202-267-0950, fax 202-267-4285.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st
Century became law on June 9, 1998. The Act requires that of the $5
million made available to carry out the national recreational boating
safety program, $2,000,000 shall be available only to ensure compliance
with chapter 43 of title 46, U.S. Code--Recreational Vessels. This
responsibility is delegated to the Commandant of the United States
Coast Guard. The statute directs that no funds available to the
Secretary under this subsection may be used to replace funding
traditionally provided through general appropriations, nor for any
purposes except those purposes authorized by this section. Amounts made
available each fiscal year, 1999-2003, shall remain available until
expended. Upon passage of the Act the U.S. Coast Guard Office of
Boating Safety began the process of developing basic spending plans for
this new source of revenue. For accounting purposes, funding was
divided into two program elements: Boat Safety Compliance and National
Recreational Boating Safety Program. Use of these funds entails
compliance with standard Federal contracting rules with associated lead
and processing times resulting in a lag time between available funds
and spending. An accounting of the use of the funds to date follows,
including a narrative summary and a table that reflects commitment,
obligation, or expenditure of fiscal years 1999 and 2000 funds.
Boat Safety Compliance
Factory Visit Program
A contract was awarded to establish a national recreational boat
factory visit program using contractor personnel. The contract includes
the development
[[Page 36216]]
of a plan of action and a pilot program to validate the elements of the
plan and the concept of the program. The plan was completed at a cost
of $133,912.55 using fiscal year 1999 funding. The pilot program will
commence in the summer of 2000. The factory visit program will allow
contractor personnel, acting on behalf of the Coast Guard, to visit
approximately 2,000 recreational boat manufacturers each year to
communicate with the manufacturers as to why they need to comply with
the Federal regulations, educate them, as necessary, on how to comply
with the Federal regulations, and inspect for compliance with the
Federal regulations.
Associated Equipment Compliance Testing
Currently, the Office of Boating Safety conducts compliance testing
by purchasing recreational boats in the open market and testing them
for compliance with the Federal flotation standards. As a new
initiative, the Office of Boating Safety is planning to buy
recreational boat ``associated equipment,'' e.g., starters,
alternators, fuel pumps, bilge pumps, etc., and test this equipment for
compliance with Federal safety regulations. The anticipated annual cost
of this multi-year effort is estimated at $100,000. To date $44,000 of
fiscal year 1999 funds have been expended, and $83,000 of fiscal year
2000 funds has been committed for this testing.
Articulated Mannequins/Computer Simulation Model
The objective of this multi-year program is to improve the safety
of recreational boaters by encouraging the design of new/unique
personal flotation devices (PFDs) through the development of a computer
simulation program to evaluate the effectiveness of new/unique PFD
designs. The computer simulation program will be validated through the
use of a family of anthropomorphic articulated mannequins. Fiscal year
1999 funding for this effort is $300,000.
Compliance Associated Travel
Travel is being performed to carry out additional compliance
actions and to gather background and planning information for proposed
compliance initiatives or to research possible new compliance
initiatives. Fiscal year 1999 funding for this travel has amounted to
$13,332.44.
New Boat Manufacturer Outreach Package
A fiscal year 1999 contract for $357,582.34 was awarded to design
and develop a comprehensive and user friendly outreach package for
distribution to new recreational boat manufacturers. Included will be a
brochure and video that will outline the many facets of the
recreational boat manufacturing business, including, Federal
regulations, voluntary standards, self-certification, financial
aspects, insurance concerns, liability issues, points of contact and
the steps necessary to become a new recreational boat manufacturer. The
package will also include plain language guidelines that help clarify
Federal requirements. The new outreach package is expected to increase
the level of compliance with the Federal regulations among new
recreational boat manufacturers.
Risk Analysis Study
This effort will develop a risk-based compliance approval process
for Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) using a Life Saving Index
methodology. Fiscal year 1999 funding for this project amounted to
$229,465.64. The results of this effort will provide a formal structure
and consistency to the process for accepting new approaches to
designing devices for drowning prevention. The risk-based process
identifies critical factors for evaluating PFD lifesaving potential and
defines the minimum level of performance necessary for approval.
Virtual Reality Personal Watercraft (PWC)
A contract was awarded to develop a virtual reality personal
watercraft. If this application of virtual reality technology proves to
be effective it will provide a platform to gather valuable data in many
areas that would otherwise be unobtainable or would require more costly
methods and sources. The data from this effort will give greater
insight into the human/machine interface related to PWC and will assist
in the effort to attempt to reduce PWC accidents. The contract award
amount using fiscal year 2000 funds was $133,620.
National Recreational Boating Safety Program
Boating Accident Report Database (BARD)
The BARD system is aimed at effectively providing the capability to
all States and the Coast Guard for the successful exchange of
recreational boating accident data and information using BARD software.
New fiscal year 1999 funding of $392,234 allows software module
development, software module rework and unit testing, module
integration testing and system testing associated with this innovative
program, and for providing the software to the 50 States, five
territories, and the District of Columbia.
Transfer of Funds to the Seventeenth Coast Guard District
A non-recurring transfer of $25,000 fiscal year 1999 funds was made
to the Seventeenth Coast Guard District in support of a Coast Guard
Boating Safety Detachment to assist in the transition of State of
Alaska assumption of Recreational Boating Safety Program
responsibilities.
National Boating Registration System
As a service for States/Territories that currently have inadequate
(or no) computer software program to maintain their vessel numbering
system information, $24,000 has been transferred to the U.S. Coast
Guard Operations Systems Center (OSC) to develop a National Boating
Registration System software program. OSC will modify an existing
program currently used by the Coast Guard in Alaska (the only State
that does not have a Coast Guard-approved vessel numbering system) to
develop a generic version that can easily be adapted by any State/
Territory for their own use. The software, which will be provided to
interested States/Territories at no cost, will include a function to
automatically generate the annual report on numbered vessels that must
be submitted to the Coast Guard each year, which currently can be a
very time-consuming process for States whose systems are not automated.
The current schedule calls for delivery of the beta version system in
July 2000.
Federal Requirements Publication
A customer friendly ``Federal Requirements and Safety Tips for
Recreational Boaters'' publication is being developed based on easy to
read high visibility graphics, focusing on provision of subject
specific safety tips with retention factors built in. Support for this
effort using fiscal year 1999 funds is $73,000. The Coast Guard
anticipates expanding this development effort and intends to evaluate
recreational boater retention factors for Federal regulations in August
2000. The end result will be publication of both hard copy and
electronic interactive versions for public use.
[[Page 36217]]
Coast Guard Infoline/Office of Boating Safety Website
This effort provides both technology and educational enhancements
to the Coast Guard Infoline, a toll free 800 telephone number
(including a dedicated line for the hearing impaired) accessible to
callers anywhere in the United States. The Infoline provides
information about safety, regulations, communications, Coast Guard
policy, and available material related to boating safety issues.
Additionally, this effort provides a complete interactive recreational
boating safety website that offers the public and boating safety
agencies and organizations with up-to-the-minute information on every
aspect of recreational boating safety. One of the goals of this program
is to create a ``one-stop'' customer service center for all users.
Fiscal year 1999 funding amounted to $186,435.
Marine Dealer Display Kiosks
An expenditure of $23,950 of fiscal year 1999 funds supports the
Hunters and Anglers Outreach Program and supplies marine dealers with
U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary literature display
racks, including associated boating safety information pertaining to
the hazards associated with Boating Under the Influence (BUI) as well
as discipline specific information to this target group. Additional
target group research and testing will be conducted during calendar
year 2000 validating outreach components. This research will result in
the release of a national ``point-of-purchase'' kiosk system, serving
as an extension to the Office of Boating Safety's ``one-stop''
information system.
There are three new projects that are in final stages for
commitment of funds.
The Vessel Safety Check Program
Fiscal year 2000 funding, estimated at less than $50,000 will be
used to support the efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, U.S.
Power Squadrons and the National Association of State Boating Law
Administrators in providing free safety inspections of recreational
boats. The ``safety check'' provides a complete review of a
recreational vessel ensuring that the vessel is in compliance with all
Federal and State specific carriage requirements. Ultimately the end
result will lead to fewer recreational boating accidents, injuries and
fatalities.
Knowledge Management System and SEAFIT (State Electronic
Administrative, Financial and Information Technology System)
This effort will enable the Coast Guard to reduce the amount of
paper transactions required and obtained by its external customers. The
States are one of the Coast Guard's largest external customer groups.
The Knowledge Management and SEAFIT systems will provide for quicker
more effective and efficient program oversight while providing each
customer with the ability to electronically do business with the Coast
Guard. This system will assist in the electronic monitoring, storage
and daily use of all multi-disciplined information and materials within
the Office of Boating Safety. We plan to convert current business
processes that support activity in grant administration, program
oversight, financial payments and requested program information to an
electronic format and be web-based compatible.
National Boating Survey
The contracting process is being initiated for a comprehensive
major national recreational boating survey. The survey will provide
information on boats, boaters and their activities. In order to avoid
taking the large amount of money required for a large-scale survey from
available funds for a single fiscal year, we will escrow funds each
year. We placed $900,000 of fiscal year 1999 funds and $400,000 of
fiscal year 2000 funds in escrow.
The following table reflects commitment, obligation, or expenditure
to date of fiscal years 1999 and 2000 funds.
Recreational Boating Safety Programs Accounting
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FY 1999 FY 2000
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Boat Safety Compliance
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Factory visit program............. $133,912.55
Associated equipment compliance 44,000.00 $83,000.00
testing..........................
Articulated mannequins/computer 300,000.00
simulation model.................
Compliance associated travel...... 13,332.44
New boat manufacturer outreach 357,582.34
package..........................
Risk analysis study............... 229,465.64
Virtual reality personal 133,620.00
watercraft.......................
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Total boat safety compliance.. 1,078,292.97 216,620.00
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National Recreational Boating Safety Program
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Boating accident report database 392,234.00
(BARD)...........................
17th CG District boating safety 25,000.00
detachment.......................
National boating registration 24,000.00
system...........................
Federal requirements publication.. 73,000.00
CG Infoline/Office of boating 186,435.00
safety website...................
Marine dealer display kiosks...... 23,950.00
Total recreational boating 724,619.00
safety.......................
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National boating survey escrow.... 900,000.00 400,000.00
Grand total................... 2,702,911.97 616,620.00
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Note: This Chart Shows FY 1999 and FY 2000 Dedicated Funds Committed,
Obligated, or Expended for the Individual Projects Listed.
[[Page 36218]]
Dated: June 2, 2000.
Kenneth T. Venuto,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Director of Operations Policy.
[FR Doc. 00-14362 Filed 6-6-00; 8:45 am]
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