[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 53 (Thursday, March 18, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12864-12865]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-6037]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[USCG-2004-17238]


Small Business Non-Retaliation Policy

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces adoption of a small business non-
retaliation policy. If a small business questions or lodges a complaint 
regarding a Coast Guard policy or action, or seeks outside help in 
dealing with a Coast Guard policy or action, the Coast Guard will not 
retaliate in any fashion. The full policy is set out in the body of 
this notice.

DATES: The Commandant of the Coast Guard approved the small business 
non-retaliation policy on February 11, 2004. The policy remains in 
effect until modified or rescinded by the Commandant.

ADDRESSES: Although we are not requesting them, you may make comments 
on this notice. 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) Electronically through the Web site for the Docket Management 
System at http://dms.dot.gov.
    (2) By mail to the Docket Management Facility, (USCG-2004-17238), 
U.S. Department of Transportation, room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, 
SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    (3) By fax to the Docket Management Facility at 202-493-2251.
    (4) 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.
    The Docket Management Facility maintains the public docket for this 
notice. Comments and material received from the public will become part 
of this

[[Page 12865]]

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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice, 
call Rich Walter, Office of Regulations and Administrative Law (G-LRA), 
U.S. Coast Guard, telephone 202-267-1534. If you have questions on 
viewing or submitting material to the docket, call Andrea M. Jenkins, 
Program Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-366-0271.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of the National Ombudsman of the 
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has asked each Federal agency 
to adopt a policy that the agency will not retaliate against small 
businesses that question or complain about the way the agency does 
business. On February 11, 2004, the head of our agency, the Commandant 
of the Coast Guard, approved the following statement of Coast Guard 
policy:

    If you question or lodge a complaint regarding a Coast Guard 
policy or action, to us or to anyone else, or if you seek outside 
help in dealing with a Coast Guard policy or action, the Coast Guard 
will not retaliate against you in any fashion. The Coast Guard wants 
you to be able to comment, question, or lodge a complaint about our 
policies or actions without fear that we will retaliate or try to 
discourage future questions or complaints. If you think the Coast 
Guard has broken this promise, we will investigate, take appropriate 
action, and make sure that mistakes are not repeated. You may 
comment, ask questions, or file a complaint about Coast Guard 
policies or actions by contacting your local Coast Guard office, or 
you can also contact the Small Business Administration Office of the 
National Ombudsman at 888-REG-FAIR (734-3247), fax: 202-481-5719, 
email: [email protected].

    Small businesses generally are independently owned and operated and 
are not dominant in their field. If you need help determining whether 
or not your business qualifies as a ``small business'', contact the 
SBA's Office of the National Ombudsman using the information given in 
the preceding paragraph.

    Dated: March 11, 2004.
John E. Crowley, Jr.,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Judge Advocate General.
[FR Doc. 04-6037 Filed 3-17-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-15-P