[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 151 (Tuesday, August 6, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 50840-50841]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-19674]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

33 CFR Chapter I

[USCG-2002-12835]


Review of Boating Safety Regulations

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is conducting a comprehensive review of 
current boating safety regulations in three stages. These stages 
correspond with sequential meetings of the National Boating Safety 
Advisory Council (NBSAC). This document requests comments for the third 
stage, involving requirements for operators of recreational vessels. We 
will provide NBSAC members with a summary and copy of the comments 
before the April 2003 meeting and will consider all relevant public 
comments and NBSAC recommendations in determining which regulations, if 
any, should be changed.

DATES: Comments and related material for the third stage of the review 
must reach the Docket Management Facility on or before November 4, 
2002.

ADDRESSES: To make sure that your comments and related material are not 
entered more than once in the docket, please submit them by only one of 
the following means:
    (1) By mail to the Docket Management Facility, (USCG-2002-12835), 
U.S. Department of Transportation, room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street SW, 
Washington, DC 20590-0001. (2) By delivery to room PL-401 on the Plaza 
level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street SW, Washington, DC, 
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays. The telephone number is 202-366-9329. (3) By fax to the 
Docket Management Facility at 202-493-2251. (4) Electronically through 
the Web Site for the Docket Management System at http://dms.dot.gov.

[[Page 50841]]

    The Docket Management Facility maintains the public docket for this 
notice. Comments and material received from the public, as well as 
documents mentioned in this preamble as being available in the docket, 
will become part of this docket and will be available for inspection or 
copying at room PL-401 on the Plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 
Seventh Street SW, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except Federal holidays. You may also find this docket 
on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov. You may obtain a copy of this 
notice by calling the U.S. Coast Guard Infoline at 1-800-368-5647, or 
read it on the Internet, at the Web Site for the Office of Boating 
Safety, at http://www.uscgboating.org or at http://dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice, 
contact Carlton Perry, Project Manager, Office of Boating Safety, U.S. 
Coast Guard, by telephone at 202-267-0979 or by e-mail at 
[email protected]. If you have questions on viewing or submitting 
material to the docket, call Dorothy Beard, Chief, Dockets, Department 
of Transportation, telephone 202-366-5149.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background and Purpose

    NBSAC is a Federal advisory committee created under 46 U.S.C. 
13110(a) and operated under 5 U.S.C. App. 2 and a charter from the 
Secretary of Transportation (see 66 FR 7951; January 26, 2001). It 
advises the Coast Guard on substantive matters of boating safety. Its 
21 members come from 3 segments of the boating community: the boating 
industry; State officials on boating safety; and representatives of 
national recreational boating organizations and the general public. 
NBSAC meets twice a year, in the spring and fall. The meetings are open 
to the public. Under 46 U.S.C. 4302 (c)(4), the Coast Guard must 
consult NBSAC in the formulation of boating safety regulations.

Past Comprehensive Reviews

    In 1981, 1986, 1992, and 1997, we conducted comprehensive reviews 
of our boating safety regulations in conjunction with a single NBSAC 
meeting. We asked NBSAC to determine whether the regulations were still 
necessary, beneficial, cost-effective, and consistent with current 
technology. These periodic reviews led NBSAC to make numerous 
recommendations to improve and update specific provisions in the 
regulations.

Current Comprehensive Review

    We are conducting this review in three stages at sequential NBSAC 
meetings. This is the notice for the third stage of the review that 
will be discussed at NBSAC's April 2003 meeting. We published a 
document announcing the first stage of the review in the Federal 
Register on August 30, 2001 [66 FR 45791], and NBSAC reviewed those 
regulations at its April 2002 meeting. We published a notice announcing 
the second stage of the review in the Federal Register on March 26, 
2002 [67 FR 13817], stating that NBSAC would review regulations of the 
second stage in October 2002. Each stage will evaluate current boating 
safety regulations, but will not include any rules under development.
    The first review stage included administrative requirements for 
manufacturers and importers of recreational vessels (33 CFR part 179 
and part 181, subparts B and C) and fire and explosion prevention 
requirements for manufacturers and importers of recreational vessels 
(33 CFR part 183, subparts I, J, and K). NBSAC reviewed these 
regulations and related comments at its April 2002 meeting.
    The second review stage included requirements for manufacturers and 
importers of recreational vessels to prevent drownings (33 CFR part 
183, subparts B, C, D, F, G, H, and L). NBSAC will review these 
regulations and related comments at its October 2002 meeting.
    The third review stage includes requirements for operators of 
recreational vessels (33 CFR parts 95, 100, 173, 174, 175, 177, 181 
(subparts A and G), 187 and 46 CFR part 25 (subpart 25.30), and part 58 
(subparts 58.03 and 58.10)). NBSAC will review these regulations and 
related comments at its April 2003 meeting. We will publish a notice in 
the Federal Register announcing the date and time of that public 
meeting, prior to that meeting.
    You may find copies of the boating safety regulations at any public 
library that carries the United States Code of Federal Regulations. You 
may buy them from the Superintendent, Government Printing Office, 
telephone: 202-512-2250; facsimile: 202-512-1800. You may also access 
them on the Internet at URL address http://www.gpo.gov/nara/cfr.

Request for Comments

    We encourage interested persons from all sectors of the boating 
community to participate in this third regulatory review stage by 
submitting comments and related material regarding any changes to the 
current boating safety regulations, including elimination or revocation 
of any requirements. If you submit comments, please include your name 
and address, identify the docket number for this notice (USCG-2002-
12835) and give the reasons for each comment. You may submit your 
comments and material by mail, hand delivery, fax, or electronic means 
to the Docket Management Facility at the address under ADDRESSES; but 
please submit your comments and material by only one means. If you 
submit them by mail or hand delivery, submit them in an unbound format, 
no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, suitable for copying and electronic 
filing. If you submit them by mail and would like to know they reached 
the Facility, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard or 
envelope. We will consider all comments and material received during 
the comment period.
    We are especially interested in responses to the following 
questions:
     Need--Is there still a need for the regulation? Is the 
problem that the regulation was originally intended to solve still a 
problem?
     Technical Accuracy--Has the regulation kept pace with the 
technological, economic, environmental, or other relevant conditions? 
Would any particular changes make it more effective in achieving its 
intended goal?
     Cost/Benefit--What are the costs, or other burdens or 
adverse effects, including impacts on use of energy, of the regulation? 
What are the benefits of the regulation in terms of personal safety or 
other values? Do the benefits outweigh the costs?
     Problems--Are there any problems or complaints in 
understanding or complying with the regulation?
     Alternative--Are there any nonregulatory ways to achieve 
the goal of the regulation at a lower cost, lower burden, or adverse 
effect?
    We will summarize all comments received in response to this request 
during the comment period and will provide a copy of the summary and 
individual comments to the NBSAC members for their consideration before 
the April 2003 meeting. We will consider all relevant comments in the 
formulation of any changes to the boating safety regulations that may 
result from this review stage.

    Dated: July 26, 2002.
James C. Olson,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Director of Operations Policy.
[FR Doc. 02-19674 Filed 8-5-02; 8:45 am]
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