[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 181 (Tuesday, September 19, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54830-54831]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-15494]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[USCG-2006-25800]


Collection of Information Under Review by Office of Management 
and Budget: OMB Control Number 1625-0012

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
U.S. Coast Guard intends to submit an Information Collection Request 
(ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to request a 
revision for the following collection of information: 1625-0012, 
Certificate of Discharge to Merchant Mariners. Before submitting the 
ICR to OMB, the Coast Guard is inviting comments on it as described 
below.

DATES: Comments must reach the Coast Guard on or before November 20, 
2006.

ADDRESSES: To make sure that your comments and related material do not 
enter the docket [USCG-2006-25800] more than once, please submit them 
by only one of the following means:
    (1) By mail to the Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation (DOT), room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, 
DC 20590-0001.

[[Page 54831]]

    (2) By delivery to 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 telephone 
number is 202-366-9329.
    (3) By fax to the Docket Management Facility at 202-493-2251.
    (4) Electronically through the Web Site for the Docket Management 
System at http://dms.dot.gov.
    The Docket Management Facility maintains the public docket for this 
notice. Comments and material received from the public, as well as 
documents mentioned in this notice as being available in the docket, 
will become part of this docket and will be available for inspection or 
copying at 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. You may also find this docket 
on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov. 
    Copies of the complete ICR are available through this docket on the 
Internet at http://dms.dot.gov, and also from Commandant (CG-611), U.S. 
Coast Guard Headquarters, room 6106 (Attn: Ms. Barbara Davis), 2100 2nd 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20593-0001. The telephone number is 202-
475-3523.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Barbara Davis, Office of 
Information Management, telephone 202-475-3523, or fax 202-475-3929, 
for questions on these documents; or telephone Ms. Renee V. Wright, 
Program Manager, Docket Operations, 202-493-0402, for questions on the 
docket.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Public Participation and Request for Comments

    We encourage you to respond to this request for comments by 
submitting comments and related materials. We will post all comments 
received, without change, to http://dms.dot.gov; they will include any 
personal information you have provided. We have an agreement with DOT 
to use the Docket Management Facility. Please see the paragraph on 
DOT's ``Privacy Act Policy'' below.
    Submitting comments: If you submit a comment, please include your 
name and address, identify the docket number [USCG-2006-25800], 
indicate the specific section of the document to which each comment 
applies, and give the reason for each comment. You may submit your 
comments and material by electronic means, mail, fax, or delivery to 
the Docket Management Facility at the address under ADDRESSES; but 
please submit them by only one means. If you submit them by mail or 
delivery, submit them in an unbound format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 
inches, suitable for copying and electronic filing. If you submit them 
by mail and would like to know that they reached the Facility, please 
enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard or envelope. We will 
consider all comments and material received during the comment period. 
We may change the documents supporting this collection of information 
or even the underlying requirements in view of them.
    Viewing comments and documents: To view comments, as well as 
documents mentioned in this notice as being available in the docket, go 
to http://dms.dot.gov at any time and conduct a simple search using the 
docket number. You may also visit the Docket Management Facility in 
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.
    Privacy Act: Anyone can search the electronic form of all comments 
received in 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 the Privacy 
Act Statement of DOT in the Federal Register published on April 11, 
2000 (65 FR 19477), or you may visit http://dms.dot.gov.

Information Collection Request

    Title: Certificate of Discharge to Merchant Mariners.
    OMB Control Number: 1625-0012.
    Summary: Under 46, U. S. C. 10311, the Coast Guard prescribes the 
form of the Certificate of Discharge for Merchant Mariners. The 
Certificate provides merchant mariners with evidence of sea service to 
determine eligibility for various benefits, such as medical and 
retirement. The information collected is also used to show eligibility 
for an original, renewed, upgraded license or merchant mariner 
document, to develop maritime sea service statistics, and to provide 
information to the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) on the 
availability of mariners in a time of national emergency. The Coast 
Guard's Sea Service database captures the information from the 
Certificates of Discharge and is used by the Coast Guard's Regional 
Examination Centers to evaluate the qualifications of mariners who 
apply for originals, renewals, upgrades to their license or merchant 
mariners documents. The information from the database is compiled 
annually by MARAD to prepare Congressionally mandated reports on 
mariner availability. Currently, the CG Form 718A is only available in 
booklet format utilizing carbon copies. The Coast Guard is revising 
this form so that it may be provided to the maritime community for 
downloading via the internet. The new version still requires vessel 
master and discharged mariner signatures. This effort is intended to 
alleviate issues regarding form availability.
    Need: The information is used primarily, on an as-needed basis, by 
mariners and the Coast Guard to establish sea service time and 
qualifications for issuing original, renewals or upgraded merchant 
mariner credentials; in claims against employers; in medical claims; 
and in qualifying for retirement benefits or insurance benefits.
    Respondents: Masters or mates of shipping companies and merchant 
mariners.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Burden Estimate: The estimated burden has decreased from 4,500 
hours to 1,800 hours a year.

    Dated: September 13, 2006.
 R. T. Hewitt,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Assistant Commandant for Command, 
Control, Communications, Computers and Information Technology.
 [FR Doc. E6-15494 Filed 9-18-06; 8:45 am]
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