[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 22, 2005)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 14435]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-5636]



[[Page 14435]]

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ARCHITECTURAL AND TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS COMPLIANCE BOARD

36 CFR Part 1195

[Docket Nos. 2004-1; 2004-2]
RIN 3014-AA11


Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Guidelines 
for Passenger Vessels; Large Vessels; Small Vessels

AGENCY: Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board.

ACTION: Availability of Draft Guidelines; Advance Notice of Proposed 
Rule; Extension of time to file comments.

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SUMMARY: The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board 
(Access Board) has placed in the docket and on its website for public 
review and comment draft guidelines which address accessibility to and 
in passenger vessels which are permitted to carry more than 150 
passengers or more than 49 overnight passengers. The Access Board has 
also issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking which addresses 
newly constructed or altered passenger vessels which carry 150 or fewer 
passengers or 49 or fewer overnight passengers. This document extends 
the deadline for comments on both the draft guidelines for large 
vessels and the ANPRM for small vessels.

DATES: Comments on the draft guidelines and the ANPRM must be received 
by July 28, 2005. Late comments will be considered to the extent 
practicable.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to the Office of Technical and 
Information Services, Architectural and Transportation Barriers 
Compliance Board, 1331 F Street NW., suite 1000, Washington, DC 20004-
1111. E-mail comments should be sent to board.gov">pvag@access-board.gov. Comments 
sent by e-mail will be considered only if they contain the full name 
and postal address of the sender in the text. Comments will be 
available for inspection at the above address from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on 
regular business days.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Beatty, Office of Technical and 
Information Services, Architectural and Transportation Barriers 
Compliance Board, 1331 F Street, NW., suite 1000, Washington DC 20004-
1111. Telephone number (202) 272-0012 (voice); (202) 272-0082 (TTY); 
Electronic mail address: board.gov">pvag@access-board.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Notice of Availability of Draft Guidelines for Large Vessels

    On November 26, 2004, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers 
Compliance Board (Access Board) issued a notice of availability of 
draft guidelines. The draft guidelines address accessibility to and in 
passenger vessels covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, which 
are permitted to carry more than 150 passengers or more than 49 
overnight passengers. (69 FR 69244; November 26, 2004). The notice of 
availability and the draft guidelines along with supplementary 
information have been placed in the rulemaking docket and on the 
Board's Web site (http://www.access-board.gov/pvaac/noa.htm). The Board 
is soliciting comments on the draft guidelines and will issue a notice 
of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) following a review of comments received. 
The notice of availability provided for a deadline of March 28, 2005 
for comments to be submitted. This notice extends that deadline.

Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Small Vessels

    Also on November 26, 2004, the Access Board published an Advance 
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) in the Federal Register. (69 FR 
69245; November 26, 2004). The ANPRM addresses the development of 
accessibility guidelines for newly constructed or altered passenger 
vessels covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, which carry 150 
or fewer passengers or 49 or fewer overnight passengers. The ANPRM is 
also on the Board's Web site at http://www.access-board.gov/pvaac/anprm.htm. The Board requested comments on the ANPRM and provided for a 
deadline of March 28, 2005. This notice extends that deadline.

Extension of Time for Filing Comments

    The Board held a public hearing on the draft guidelines for large 
vessels and the ANPRM for small vessels on January 10, 2005 in 
Washington DC. At that time and since the notice of availability was 
issued, the Board has received requests for an extension of the comment 
period. Commenters have requested additional time to further review the 
detailed guidelines and provide in-depth comments. As a result, the 
Board has extended the time for filing comments by an additional four 
months. It is also the Board's intention to hold two additional public 
hearings. The location, date and time of the future hearings will be 
announced in a subsequent Federal Register notice and on the Board's 
Web site. The Board believes that the extension of time for comments 
and the two additional hearings will give the public a better 
opportunity to provide input on the Board's draft guidelines.

Regulatory Assessment

    The Board has also drafted a plan for conducting a regulatory 
assessment of the passenger vessels guidelines. The plan provides for 
evaluating the potential impacts of the guidelines on new construction 
of passenger vessels through case studies, and outlines some methods 
for examining the impacts of the guidelines on alterations to passenger 
vessels. The plan is available for public review on the Board's Web 
site and the Board invites comment on the plan. (http://www.access-board.gov/pvaac/assess-plan.htm).

Department of Transportation

    The Department of Transportation (DOT) is conducting a separate 
rulemaking to adopt the Access Board's guidelines as accessibility 
standards for passenger vessels covered by the ADA. The DOT rulemaking 
will also address operational issues related to passenger vessels. DOT 
issued a separate Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) in the 
Federal Register on November 26, 2004. (69 FR 69246; November 26, 
2004).

Availability of Copies and Electronic Access

    Single copies of the passenger vessels rulemaking (Availability of 
Draft Guidelines, Draft Guidelines and Supplementary Information, Draft 
Plan for Regulatory Assessment, and ANPRM on Access to and in Small 
Passenger Vessels) may be obtained at no cost by calling the Access 
Board's automated publications order line (202) 272-0080, by pressing 2 
on the telephone keypad, then 1 and requesting publication S-45. Please 
record your name, address, telephone number and publication code S-45. 
Persons using a TTY should call (202) 272-0082. Documents are available 
in alternate formats upon request. Persons who want a publication in an 
alternate format should specify the type of format (cassette tape, 
Braille, large print, or ASCII disk). Documents are also available on 
the Board's Web site (http://www.access-board.gov).

Lawrence W. Roffee,
Executive Director, Architectural and Transportation Barriers 
Compliance Board.
[FR Doc. 05-5636 Filed 3-22-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8150-01-P