[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 202 (Thursday, October 19, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61822-61823]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-17450]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

[Docket No. FMCSA-2006-25504]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Request for Comments; 
Renewal of an Information Collection: Medical Qualification 
Requirements

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

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The FMCSA invites comments on its plan to request approval 
from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to renew an information 
collection concerning the requirements set forth in 49 CFR parts 391 
and 398 for the following activities: (1) A medical examination form 
and certificate to be completed by a licensed medical examiner; (2) The 
submission of an application to FMCSA for the Agency to resolve 
conflicts of medical evaluations between medical examiners; (3) A 
driver qualification (DQ) file for: (a) Motor carriers to include the 
medical certificate; (b) motor carriers of migrant workers to include a 
doctor's certificate for every driver employed or used by them; and (c) 
motor carriers to include a Skill Performance Evaluation (SPE) 
certificate issued to a driver with a limb disability; and (4) 
Information collected from carriers, drivers and interested parties 
used in Agency determinations for granting exemptions from the vision 
and diabetes requirements in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety 
Regulations (FMCSRs). This notice is required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before December 18, 2006.

ADDRESSES: All comments should reference Docket No. FMCSA-2006-25504. 
You may mail or hand deliver comments to the U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Dockets Management Facility, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590; telefax comments to (202) 493-2251; 
or submit electronically at http://dms.dot.gov. You may examine and 
copy all comments received at the above address between 9 a.m. and 5 
p.m., E.T., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. If you 
desire your comment to be acknowledged, you must include a self-
addressed stamped envelope or postcard or, if you submit your comments 
electronically, you may print the acknowledgment.

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., ET, Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Medical Qualification Requirements.
    OMB Control Number: 2126-0006.
    Background: Title 49 U.S.C. 31136 requires the Secretary of 
Transportation (Secretary) to prescribe regulations to ensure that the 
physical qualifications of commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operators are 
adequate to enable them to operate CMVs safely. In addition, 49 U.S.C. 
31502 authorizes the Secretary to prescribe requirements for 
qualifications of employees of a motor carrier when needed to promote 
safety of operation. Information about an individual's physical 
condition must be collected in order for the FMCSA and motor carriers 
to verify that the individual meets the physical qualification 
standards for CMV drivers set forth in 49 CFR 391.41; and for the FMCSA 
to determine whether the individual is physically able to operate a CMV 
safely. This information collection is comprised of the components 
listed in the summary above.
    Respondents: Medical Examiners, Medical Specialists, Physicians, 
Licensed Doctors of Medicine, Doctors of Osteopathy, Physician 
Assistants, Advanced Practice Nurses, Doctors of Chiropractic, motor 
carriers, and CMV drivers.
    Estimated Average Burden Per Record: The following records are 
included in the IC pertaining to the Medical Qualifications 
Requirements: (1) The Medical Examination Form and Certificate--Twenty 
minutes for a medical examiner to complete the medical examination 
form; One minute for the medical examiner to complete the medical 
examiner's certificate; One minute for carriers to copy and file the 
medical examiner's certificate in the DQ file; (2) Data Resolving 
Medical Conflicts--One hour for the Agency to review and resolve an 
application for resolution of medical conflict; (3) The SPE 
Certificate--Fifteen minutes for the Agency to review and complete an 
application for an initial SPE certificate; Two minutes for the Agency 
to review and complete an application for a renewal of a SPE 
certificate; One minute for carriers to copy and file the SPE 
certificate application in the DQ file; (4) Vision Exemptions--Sixty 
minutes for the Agency to review and complete an application for a 
vision exemption with required supporting documents, and for carriers 
to copy and file the documents in the DQ file; (5) Diabetes 
Exemptions--Ninety minutes for the Agency to review and complete a 
diabetes exemption with required documentation, and for carriers to 
copy and file the documents in the DQ file; and (6) The Doctor's 
Certificate for Motor Carriers of Migrant Workers--One minute for a 
doctor of medicine or osteopathy to complete a doctor's certificate for 
drivers of motor carriers of migrant workers; and for carriers to place 
the certificate in the DQ file for every driver employed or used by 
them.
    Frequency of Response: Biennially, and on occasion, more frequently 
for drivers who are not eligible to receive a 2-year certificate. A 
medical certificate usually is valid for 2 years, so FMCSA estimates 
that half of the drivers subject to its medical standards will take an 
examination each year. The remaining

[[Page 61823]]

medical requirements are submitted on occasion by the respondents.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 1,186,898 hours [1,184,046 hours for 
medical examination form and certificate (3,229,215 certificates x 22 
minutes/60 minutes per hour + 11 hours for resolution of medical 
conflicts (3 cases x 1 hour each to prepare, plus 8 hours for one 
hearing) + 92 hours for SPE certificates (2,100 certificates x 1 
minute/60 minutes for motor carriers + 1,700 renewals x 2 minutes/60 
minutes) + 946 hours for vision exemptions (168 new vision exemptions + 
750 vision exemptions x 1 hour each + 28 hours for motor carriers to 
retain a copy in the driver's DQ file) + 1,800 for diabetes exemptions 
(1,200 exemptions x 90 minutes/60 minutes) + 3 (or 3.3 rounded) hours 
for doctors certificate for drivers of migrant workers (100 
certificates x 2 minutes/60 minutes) = 1,186,898 hours].
    Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of 
this information collection, including: (1) Whether the proposed 
collection is necessary for the FMCSA's performance; (2) the accuracy 
of the estimated burden; (3) ways for the FMCSA to enhance the quality, 
usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways that 
the burden could be minimized without reducing the quality of the 
collected information. The agency will summarize or include your 
comments in the request for OMB's clearance of this information 
collection.

    Issued on: October 11, 2006.
John H. Hill,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. E6-17450 Filed 10-18-06; 8:45 am]
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