[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 163 (Wednesday, August 23, 2006)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 49399-49400]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-13971]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maritime Administration

46 CFR Part 296

[Docket No. MARAD-2006-23804]
RIN 2133-AB68


Maintenance and Repair Reimbursement Pilot Program

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of opening of reply comment period.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Maritime Administration (MARAD) is amending its 
regulations governing its pilot program for the reimbursement of costs 
of qualified maintenance and repair (M&R) of Maritime Security Program 
(MSP) vessels performed in United States shipyards. Under Public Law 
109-163, the Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Maritime 
Administrator, is directed to implement regulations that, among other 
things, replace MARAD's voluntary M&R reimbursement program with a 
mandatory system.
    The notice of proposed rulemaking for this action was published in 
the Federal Register on February 8, 2006 (71 FR 6438). Several of the 
comments received argued that MARAD lacks authority to unilaterally add 
to existing MSP agreements the added obligation on the part of the MSP 
contractor to enter into an M&R Pilot Program agreement. In order to 
have a full airing of this fundamental issue, MARAD is hereby giving 
notice that we have decided to open a reply comment period for this 
rulemaking. Reply comments may address the issue highlighted above or 
any other issue raised in the original set of comments received in this 
docket.

DATES: Reply comments are due September 22, 2006.

ADDRESSES: You may submit reply comments [identified by DOT DMS Docket 
Number MARAD 2006-23804] by any of the following methods:
     Web site: http://dms.dot.gov. Follow the instructions for 
submitting

[[Page 49400]]

comments on the DOT electronic docket site.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 400 7th St., SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-401, 
Washington, DC 20590-001.
     Hand Delivery: Room PL-401 on the plaza level of the 
Nassif Building, 400 7th St., 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 number or Regulatory Identification Number (RIN) for this 
rulemaking. 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 to Room PL-
401 on the plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 7th St., SW., 
Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal Holidays.

Privacy Act

    Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all comments 
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's 
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on 
April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; Pages 19477-78) or you may visit 
http://dms.dot.gov.

    Dated: August 17, 2006.

    By order of the Maritime Administrator.
Murray A. Bloom,
Acting Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. E6-13971 Filed 8-22-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-81-P