[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 117 (Monday, June 19, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35324-35325]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-9512]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

[Docket No. FMCSA-2006-24673]


Notice of Intent To Survey and Observe Medical Examiners Who 
Certify the Physical Qualifications of Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers

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

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: FMCSA announces its plan to request the Office of Management 
and Budget's (OMB) approval of an information collection (IC) 
associated with the Agency's Medical Examiner Performance Study. This 
information collection effort would gather survey, on-site observation, 
and interview data on the decisionmaking process of medical examiners 
(MEs) (which include, but are not limited to, medical doctors, doctors 
of osteopathy, doctors of chiropractic, physician assistants, and 
advanced practice nurses) who conduct FMCSA physical examinations of 
commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. The survey would consist of a 
sample of the several different practitioner types for the purpose of 
assessing ME knowledge of key elements required for CMV interstate 
driver certification. The survey would also provide these medical 
practitioners with an opportunity to report perceived difficulties 
associated with the CMV driver physical examination process. Site 
visits would allow for the interview and observation of medical 
examiners during the actual physical examination and certification 
decisionmaking process.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 18, 2006.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket Management 
System (DMS) Docket Number FMCSA-2006-24673 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 on-line instructions for submitting 
comments.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and 
docket number 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 below.
    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

[[Page 35325]]

Federal holidays. The DMS is available 24 hours each day, 365 days each 
year. If you want acknowledgment 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). 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 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    FMCSA estimates that there are approximately 4 to 5 million active 
interstate drivers subject to FMCSA's medical standards. Interstate CMV 
drivers are required to have a medical examination every two years at a 
minimum or more frequently at the discretion of the medical examiner. A 
medical certificate is typically valid for two years after the date of 
examination, so it is estimated that a minimum of 2 to 3 million 
medical examinations are conducted each year. In the Safe, Accountable, 
Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users 
(SAFETEA-LU) (Pub. L. 109-59, 119 Stat. 1144; August 10, 2005) Congress 
supports comprehensive improvements in the FMCSA medical program, 
including improving the quality of the interstate CMV driver physical 
qualification examination. There has been no research to date that 
captures the decisionmaking and performance of MEs who determine the 
physical qualifications of CMV drivers operating throughout the United 
States. In addition, there has been no systematic consideration of ME 
perceptions of difficulties or uncertainties associated with the 
examination process.
    A Working Integrated Product Team (WIPT) of ME peers experienced in 
conducting CMV driver physical qualification examinations will review 
the methodology and materials for the study, and data gained from 150 
direct observations of physical examinations of CMV drivers. Results of 
the Medical Examiner Performance Study would ultimately be used to 
develop recommendations for improving the overall physical 
qualification process and achieve FMCSA's goals of reducing crash 
rates, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses.
    This initiative is independent from the earlier National Registry 
of Certified Medical Examiner survey announced September 29, 2005 (70 
FR 56964), the primary intent of which is to identify those tasks most 
critical to competent job performance via a role delineation study.
    Respondents: Medical examiners (such as medical doctors, doctors of 
osteopathy, doctors of chiropractic, physician assistants, and advanced 
practice nurses) who are currently performing FMCSA physical 
examinations of CMV drivers.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: Survey--the estimated 
average burden per response for each survey is 30 minutes. Observation 
consent forms--the estimated average burden per visit for the medical 
examiner or driver is 5 to 10 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: Survey--the estimated total annual 
burden is 1250 hours for the information collection based on the 
following requirement for statistical significance: 500 responses from 
each of at least five of the medical examiner professional categories; 
[2500 respondents per survey x 30 minutes per respondent = 1250 hours]. 
Observation consent forms--the estimated total annual burden is 25 to 
50 hours for the information collection based on the following 
requirement for statistical significance: (150 medical examiners + 150 
drivers x 5 to 10 minutes per on-site observation = 25 to 50 hours].
    Frequency: Each of the described data collection efforts will occur 
only once.

Request for Comments

    Interested parties are invited to send comments regarding any 
aspect of this information collection, including but not limited to: 
(1) The necessity and utility of the information collection for the 
proper performance of the functions of FMCSA and specifically the 
conduct of the Medical Examiner Performance Study; (2) the accuracy of 
the estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways to minimize the 
collection burden without reducing the quality of the collected 
information. Comments submitted in response to this notice will be 
summarized and included in the request for OMB's clearance for this 
information collection.

    Issued on: June 8, 2006.
David Hugel,
Acting Administrator.
 [FR Doc. E6-9512 Filed 6-16-06; 8:45 am]
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