[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 32 (Friday, February 15, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11213-11214]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-03548]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2011-0138]


Merchant Mariner Medical Advisory Committee

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of Federal Advisory Committee Meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Merchant Mariner Medical Advisory Committee (MEDMAC) will 
meet on March 14-15, 2013 to discuss matters relating to medical 
certification determinations for issuance of merchant mariner 
credentials, medical standards and guidelines for physical 
qualifications of operators of commercial vessels, medical examiner 
education, and medical research. The meeting will be open to the 
public.

DATES: MEDMAC will meet on Thursday, March 14, and Friday, March 15, 
2013, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Please note that the meeting may 
close early if the committee has completed its business.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Houston Pilots facility, 203 
Deerwood Glen Drive, Deer Park, TX 77536.
    For information on facilities or services for individuals with 
disabilities or to request special assistance at the meeting, contact 
Lieutenant Ashley Holm, the MEDMAC Alternate Designated Federal Officer 
(ADFO), 202-372-1128 as soon as possible.
    To facilitate public participation, we are inviting public comment 
on the issues to be considered by the committee as listed in the 
``Agenda'' section below. Comments must be submitted in writing to the 
Coast Guard on or before March 4, 2013 and must be identified by USCG-
2011-0138 and may be submitted by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments (preferred method to 
avoid delays in processing).
     Fax: 202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility (M-30), U.S. Department 
of Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand delivery: Same as mail address above, between 9 a.m. 
and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays. The 
telephone number is 202-366-9329.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the words 
``Department of Homeland Security'' and the docket number for this 
action. Comments received will be posted without alteration at http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. You 
may review a Privacy Act notice regarding our public dockets in the 
January 17, 2008, issue of the Federal Register (73 FR 3316). If you 
would like a copy of your material distributed to each member of the 
committee in advance of the meeting, please provide an electronic copy 
to the ADFO, no later than March 4, 2013. Your materials will be placed 
on the MEDMAC Web site https://homeport.uscg.mil to be made available 
to the members of the committee and the public.

[[Page 11214]]

    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments related to this notice, go to http://www.regulations.gov and 
enter ``USCG-2011-0138'' in the ``SEARCH'' box.
    A public comment period will be held on March 14, 2013, from 
approximately 9:15 a.m. to 9:45 a.m., and on March 15, 2013 from 
approximately 4:40 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Speakers are requested to limit 
their comments to 5 minutes. Please note that the public comment period 
may end before the time indicated, following the last call for 
comments. Additionally, public comment will be sought throughout the 
meeting as specific tasks and issues are discussed by the committee. 
Contact the individual listed below to register as a speaker.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lieutenant Ashley Holm, the MEDMAC 
ADFO, at telephone 202-372-1128 or email [email protected]. If you 
have questions on viewing or submitting material to the docket, call 
Barbara Hairston, Program Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-
366-9826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice of this meeting is given under the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (Pub. L. 92-463). The 
MEDMAC is authorized by 46 U.S.C. 7115 as amended by section 210 of the 
Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-281) and advises the 
Secretary on matters related to (a) Medical certification 
determinations for issuance of licenses, certificates of registry, and 
merchant mariners' documents; (b) medical standards and guidelines for 
the physical qualifications of operators of commercial vessels; (c) 
medical examiner education; and (d) medical research.

Agenda

Day 1, March 14

    (1) Remarks from Presiding Officer of the Houston Pilots, Captain 
Robert Thompson.
    (2) Opening comments by Designated Federal Officer (DFO), Captain 
K.P. McAvoy.
    (3) Remarks from the Director of Inspections and Compliance, 
Captain P.F. Thomas.
    (4) Introduction and swearing in of the new member, Chair and Vice-
Chair designations.
    (5) Review of Last Full Committee Meeting's Minutes.
    (6) Public Comments.
    (7) Working Groups reports out.
    (8) Working Groups addressing the following task statements may 
meet to deliberate--
    (a) Task Statement 1, Revision of Navigation and Vessel Inspection 
Circular (NVIC) 04-08. The NVIC can be found at http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/nvic/ Medical and Physical Guidelines for Merchant Mariner 
Credentials.
    (b) Task Statement 2, Top medical conditions leading to denial of 
mariner credentials.
    (c) Task Statement 4, Revising the CG-719K Medical Evaluation 
Report Form for mariner physicals. The form can be found at http://www.uscg.mil/nmc.
    (d) Task Statement 5, Creating medical expert panels for the top 
medical conditions.
    (e) Task Statement 6, Developing designated medical examiner 
program.

Day 2, March 15

    (1) Presentation by the Heart Rhythm Society (Task 1 & 2).
    (2) Continue work on Task Statements.
    (3) By mid-afternoon, the Working Groups will report, and if 
applicable, make recommendations for the full committee to consider for 
presentation to the Coast Guard. The committee may take official action 
on these recommendations on this date. The public will have an 
opportunity to speak after each Working Group's Report before the full 
committee takes any action on each report.
    (4) Public Comments.
    (5) Closing remarks/plans for next meeting.

    Dated: February 8, 2013.
P.F. Thomas,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Director of Inspections and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2013-03548 Filed 2-14-13; 8:45 am]
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