[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 27 (Thursday, February 9, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6824-6825]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-1753]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

[Docket Nos. FMCSA-99-5748, 99-6156]


Qualification of Drivers; Exemption Applications; Vision

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of renewal of exemption; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: FMCSA announces its decision to renew the exemptions from the 
vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for 
10 individuals. FMCSA has statutory authority to exempt individuals 
from vision standards if the exemptions granted will not compromise 
safety. The agency has concluded that granting these exemptions will 
provide a level of safety that will be equivalent to, or greater than, 
the level of safety maintained without the exemptions for these 
commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers.

DATES: This decision is effective March 7, 2006. Comments must be 
received on or before March 13, 2006.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket Management 
System (DMS) Docket Numbers FMCSA-99-5748 and FMCSA-99-6156 using any 
of the following methods.
     Web Site: http://dmses.dot.gov. Follow the instructions 
for submitting comments on the DOT electronic docket site.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-401, 
Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery: 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.
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and 
docket numbers for this notice. Note that all comments received will be 
posted without change to http://dms.dot.gov, including any personal 
information provided. Please see the Privacy Act heading for further 
information.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to http://dms.dot.gov at any time or 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 DMS is available 24 hours each day, 365 
days each year. If you want us to notify you that we received your 
comments, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope or postcard 
or print the acknowledgement page that appears after submitting 
comments on-line.
    Privacy Act: Anyone may search the electronic form of all comments 
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or of the person signing the comment, if 
submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). 
You may review the Department of Transportation's complete Privacy Act 
Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 
19477; Apr. 11, 2000). This information is also available at http://dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Mary D. Gunnels, Chief, Physical 
Qualifications Division, (202) 366-4001, [email protected] 
FMCSA, Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20590-0001. Office hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 
E.T., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Exemption Decision

    Under 49 U.S.C. 31315 and 31136(e), FMCSA may renew an exemption 
from the vision requirements in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10), which applies to 
drivers of CMVs in interstate commerce, for a two-year period if it 
finds ``such exemption would likely achieve a level of safety that is 
equivalent to, or greater than, the level that would be achieved absent 
such exemption.'' The procedures for requesting an exemption (including 
renewals) are set out in 49 CFR part 381. This notice addresses 10 
individuals who have requested renewal of their exemptions in a timely 
manner. FMCSA has evaluated these 10 applications for renewal on their 
merits and decided to extend each exemption for a renewable two-year 
period. They are:

Herman L. Bailey, Jr.
Mark A. Baisden
Brad T. Braegger
Daniel R. Franks
Dennis J. Lessard
Harry R. Littlejohn
James D. Simon
Wayland O. Timberlake
Robert J. Townsley
Jeffrey G. Wuensch

    These exemptions are extended subject to the following conditions: 
(1) That each individual have a physical examination every year (a) by 
an ophthalmologist or optometrist who attests that the vision in the 
better eye continues to meet the standard in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10), and 
(b) by a medical examiner who attests that the individual is otherwise 
physically qualified under 49 CFR 391.41; (2) that each individual 
provide a copy of the ophthalmologist's or optometrist's report to the 
medical examiner at the time of the annual medical examination; and (3) 
that each individual provide a copy of the annual medical certification 
to the employer for retention in the driver's qualification file and 
retain a copy of the certification on his/her person while driving for 
presentation to a duly authorized Federal, State, or local enforcement 
official. Each exemption will be valid for two years unless rescinded 
earlier by FMCSA. The exemption will be rescinded if: (1) The person 
fails to comply with the terms and conditions of the exemption; (2) the 
exemption has resulted in a lower level of safety than was maintained 
before it was granted; or (3) continuation of the exemption would not 
be consistent with the goals and objectives of 49 U.S.C. 31315 and 
31136(e).

Basis for Renewing Exemptions

    Under 49 U.S.C. 31315(b)(1), an exemption may be granted for no 
longer than two years from its approval date and may be renewed upon 
application for additional two year periods. In accordance with 49 
U.S.C. 31315 and 31136(e), each of the 10 applicants has satisfied the 
entry conditions for obtaining an exemption from the vision 
requirements (64 FR 40404; 64 FR 66962; 67 FR 10475; 69 FR 8260; 64 FR 
54948; 65 FR 159). Each of these 10 applicants has requested timely 
renewal of the exemption and has submitted evidence showing that the 
vision in the better eye continues to meet the standard specified at 49 
CFR 391.41(b)(10) and that the vision impairment is stable. In 
addition, a review of each record of safety while driving with the 
respective vision deficiencies over the past two years indicates each 
applicant continues to meet the vision exemption standards.

[[Page 6825]]

These factors provide an adequate basis for predicting each driver's 
ability to continue to drive safely in interstate commerce. Therefore, 
FMCSA concludes that extending the exemption for each renewal applicant 
for a period of two years is likely to achieve a level of safety equal 
to that existing without the exemption.

Request for Comments

    FMCSA will review comments received at any time concerning a 
particular driver's safety record and determine if the continuation of 
the exemption is consistent with the requirements at 49 U.S.C. 31315 
and 31136(e). However, FMCSA requests that interested parties with 
specific data concerning the safety records of these drivers submit 
comments by March 13, 2006.
    FMCSA believes that the requirements for a renewal of an exemption 
under 49 U.S.C. 31315 and 31136(e) can be satisfied by initially 
granting the renewal and then requesting and subsequently evaluating 
comments submitted by interested parties. As indicated above, the 
agency previously published notices of final disposition announcing its 
decision to exempt these 10 individuals from the vision requirement in 
49 CFR 391.41(b)(10). That final decision to grant the exemption to 
each of these individuals was based on the merits of each case and only 
after careful consideration of the comments received to its notices of 
applications. Those notices of applications stated in detail the 
qualifications, experience, and medical condition of each applicant for 
an exemption from the vision requirements. That information is 
available by consulting the above cited Federal Register publications.
    Interested parties or organizations possessing information that 
would otherwise show that any, or all of these drivers, are not 
currently achieving the statutory level of safety should immediately 
notify FMCSA. The agency will evaluate any adverse evidence submitted 
and, if safety is being compromised or if continuation of the exemption 
would not be consistent with the goals and objectives of 49 U.S.C. 
31315 and 31136(e), FMCSA will take immediate steps to revoke the 
exemption of the driver(s) in question.

    Issued on: February 2, 2006.
Larry W. Minor,
Office Director, Bus and Truck Standards and Operations.
[FR Doc. E6-1753 Filed 2-8-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-EX-P