[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 167 (Wednesday, August 28, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55308-55309]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-21978]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Transportation Security Administration

[Docket No. TSA-2002-11604]


Security Programs for Aircraft 12,500 Pounds or More

AGENCY: Transportation Security Administration (TSA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This action establishes a schedule for comments on a security 
program for operators of aircraft with a maximum certificated takeoff 
weight of 12,500 or more pounds, and the date on which operators must 
comply with the security program once it is issued in final form.

DATES: Comments to the proposed security program may be submitted to 
TSA from August 30 through September 30, 2002.

[[Page 55309]]

    Security program compliance date: December 1, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments concerning this action to Nouri Larbi, 
Aviation Security Regulations and Policy, Room 323, Transportation 
Security Administration, 800 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 
20591. Please be sure to submit two copies of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nouri Larbi, telephone: (202) 267-
8543, facsimile (202) 267-5359, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 22, 2002, TSA published a final 
rule in the Federal Register (67 FR 8205), known as the ``Twelve-Five 
Rule,'' that, in part, required new security measures for operators of 
aircraft with a maximum certificated takeoff weight of 12,500 pounds or 
more. Under the rule, these operators must adopt and carry out certain 
security measures approved by TSA, generally known as the ``Twelve-Five 
Security Program.''
    As published, the effective date of the Twelve-Five Rule was June 
24, 2002. This document does not alter that date. As discussed below, 
it is now necessary to establish a date for comments on a proposed 
security program and a date on which aircraft operators must implement 
the final TSA-approved Twelve-Five Security Program. Security programs 
constitute sensitive security information (SSI), which are disclosed 
only to persons with a need to know, in accordance with 49 CFR part 
1520. Therefore, the Twelve-Five Security Program will be distributed 
for comment only to affected operators.
    The twelve-five rule was issued as a no-notice final rule, and so 
the amount of time allotted for operators to comment on a proposed 
security plan and for TSA to revise it if necessary has been shorter 
than usual. In addition, many of the aircraft operators subject to the 
rule have not been subject to security program requirements in the 
past, and so they may need more time to develop compliant internal 
procedures.
    TSA has developed a proposed Twelve-Five Security Program and is in 
the process of providing the proposed Twelve-Five Security Program to 
these operators. These operators will have thirty days, from August 30 
to September 30, to comment on the proposed security program. TSA will 
consider all comments, revise the program as needed, and issue a final 
security program by October 31, 2002. The operators must adopt and 
implement the final security program by December 1, 2002.
    It is important to note that the compliance dates established for 
the other requirements in Docket No. TSA-2002-11604 published in 
February 2002, are not changed. The compliance date for 49 CFR 
1544.230, regarding criminal history records checks for flightcrew 
members, remains December 6, 2002. See Sec. 1544.230(k). The compliance 
date for Sec. 1544.237, regarding flight deck privileges, remains June 
24, 2002.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on August 21, 2002.
J.M. Loy,
Acting Under Secretary of Transportation for Security.
[FR Doc. 02-21978 Filed 8-27-02; 8:45 am]
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