[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 134 (Thursday, July 13, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39697-39698]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-11005]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

[Docket No. FMCSA-2006-23727]


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

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

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FMCSA 
announces the Information Collection Request (ICR) described below has 
been sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and 
approval. The ICR describes a proposed collection activity and its 
expected cost and burden. The Federal Register notice allowing for a 
60-day comment period on the ICR was published on September 29, 2005. 
Three comments were received supporting the concept of a national 
registry of qualified medical examiners, but none specifically 
addressed the information collection process.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 14, 2006. OMB must 
receive your comments by this date to act quickly on the request.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 Seventeenth Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20503, Attention: DOT/FMCSA Desk Officer.

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., Room 8301, 
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

    Section 4116 of The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient 
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) (Pub. L. 
109-59, 119 Stat.1144 (August 10, 2005)) requires the Secretary of 
Transportation ``to establish and maintain a current national registry 
of medical examiners who are qualified to perform examinations and 
issue medical certificates.'' To implement this requirement, the 
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is developing the 
National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (NRCME) program that 
was announced at a June 22, 2005, public meeting in Arlington, Virginia 
(70 FR 28596; May 18, 2005). The NRCME would be comprised, in part, of 
a training and testing program and include a database of qualified 
medical examiners. These examiners would conduct medical examinations 
of interstate commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers and determine 
their physical qualifications to operate CMVs in interstate commerce as 
defined in 49 CFR part 391. The NRCME program would require training 
using a standardized curriculum, a certification test, and procedures 
to maintain the quality of the program in accordance with national 
accreditation standards. Once the program is implemented, FMCSA would 
accept as valid only medical examinations conducted only by NRCME 
medical examiners.
    A Role Delineation Study is a critical component of developing a 
standardized training curriculum and valid, reliable, and fair 
certification test. The goal of the Role Delineation Study is to inform 
the policies that guide the NRCME program in accordance with national 
accreditation standards. The study is an assessment of the knowledge, 
skills, and abilities necessary for a medical examiner to perform 
competently. The Role Delineation Study incorporates the following 
components: (1) Develop a medical examiner task list through a variety 
of techniques; (2) measure agreement on each task in the list by a 
representative sample of medical examiners; (3) disqualify tasks 
lacking sufficient agreement; (4) identify critical tasks; and (5) 
create specifications for a certification test. The information derived 
from the Role Delineation Study is necessary to form the basis of a 
professionally sound quality management system that supports 
accreditation of the certification program. A survey of medical 
examiners is one of the techniques for gathering data from FMCSA 
medical examiners for the Role Delineation Study.
    Respondents: Members of the five medical examiner professional 
categories: Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs), Doctors of Chiropractic 
(DCs), Doctors of Osteopathy (DOs), Medical Doctors (MDs), and 
Physician Assistants (PAs) who are currently performing FMCSA physical 
examinations of CMV drivers.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 4,000.
    Frequency of Response: One time.
    Average Burden per Response: The estimated average burden per 
response for each survey is 60 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: The estimated total annual burden is 
4,000 hours for the information collection based on the following 
requirement for statistical significance: 800 responses for each of the 
five medical examiner professional categories; [4,000 respondents per 
survey x 1 hour per respondent = 4,000 hours].
    We particularly request comments on the necessity and usefulness of 
the collection of information for FMCSA to meet its goal of reducing 
truck and bus crashes; the accuracy of the estimate of the burden of 
the information collected; suggestions to enhance the quality, utility 
and clarity of the information collected; and suggestions to minimize 
the burden of the collection of

[[Page 39698]]

information on respondents, including using automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.

    Issued on: July 3, 2006.
John H. Hill,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. E6-11005 Filed 7-12-06; 8:45 am]
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