[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 12 (Thursday, January 17, 2002)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 2329-2330]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-1252]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

33 CFR Parts 84 and 183

46 CFR Part 25

[USCG-1999-6580]
RIN 2115-AF70


Certification of Navigation Lights for Uninspected Commercial 
Vessels and Recreational Vessels

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Final rule; delay of effective date.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is delaying the effective date of the final 
rule on Certification of Navigation Lights for Uninspected Commercial 
Vessels and Recreational Vessels published in the Federal Register on 
November 1, 2001. The final rule requires domestic manufacturers of 
vessels to install only certified navigation lights on all newly 
manufactured uninspected commercial vessels and recreational vessels. 
This rule aligns the requirements for these lights with those for 
inspected commercial vessels and with requirements for all other 
mandatory safety equipment carried on board all vessels. The Coast 
Guard expects the resulting reduction in the use of noncompliant lights 
to improve safety on the water.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The final rule is effective on November 1, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Comments and material received from the public, as well as 
documents mentioned in this preamble as being available in the docket, 
are part of docket USCG-1999-6580 and are available for inspection or 
copying at the Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC, 
between 9 a.m. and 5p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays. You may also find this

[[Page 2330]]

docket on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this rule, 
contact Randolph J. Doubt, Project Manager, Office of Boating Safety, 
Coast Guard, by telephone at 202-267-6810 or by e-mail at 
[email protected]. If you have questions on viewing the docket, 
call Dorothy Beard, Chief, Dockets, Department of Transportation, by 
telephone at 202-366-5149.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On November 1, 2001, the Coast Guard 
published a final rule entitled ``Certification of Navigation Lights 
for Uninspected Commercial Vessels and Recreational Vessels'' in the 
Federal Register (66 FR 55086). The final rule, which was to become 
effective on November 1, 2002, directs manufacturers of uninspected 
commercial vessels and recreational vessels to install only navigation 
lights certified and labeled by a laboratory listed by the Coast Guard 
as meeting the technical requirements of the Navigation Rules.
    Upon publication of the final rule, the Coast Guard noted that the 
implementation date may not provide enough time to complete the testing 
of navigation lights by laboratories listed by the Coast Guard to allow 
the recreational boat manufacturers to comply with the regulation. July 
2002 is the date most of next year boat models will appear on show room 
floors. Photo boats for sales brochures will be built in March and 
April 2002 so that these brochures can be printed in time for the 
introductions. Actual new model year production will start in April and 
May 2002. Thus, boat builders must make their navigation light 
selections for the upcoming model year as early as February 2002. Each 
navigation light manufacturer will have to make tooling changes to meet 
the new marking requirements, and many will have to retest their 
applicable product line. Sufficient time is not available to do this by 
February 2002. The alternative would be to pull all unsold boats off 
the market on November 1, 2002, replacing them either with new boat 
models equipped with compliant navigation lights or modifying their 
navigation lights to meet the new marking and certification 
requirements. Most, if not all, agree that this latter alternative is 
not a reasonable course to take.
    Based upon this concern, the Coast Guard is delaying the effective 
date of the final rule to November 1, 2003.

    Accordingly, in FR Doc. 01-27320 published in the Federal Register 
on November 1, 2001, at 66 FR 55086, the effective date for the 
referenced final rule is changed from November 1, 2002, to November 1, 
2003.

    Dated: January 9, 2002.
Terry M. Cross,
Rear Admiral, U. S. Coast Guard, Assistant Commandant for Operations.
[FR Doc. 02-1252 Filed 1-16-02; 8:45 am]
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