[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 13 (Wednesday, January 21, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 2839-2840]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-00772]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Parts 101, 104, 105, 120, and 128

[Docket No. USCG-2006-23846]
RIN 1625-AB30


Consolidated Cruise Ship Security Regulations

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces a public meeting will take place on 
February 9, 2015, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida to receive comments on a 
notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) published in the Federal Register 
on December 10, 2014, under the title ``Consolidated Cruise Ship 
Security Regulations.'' This proposed rule would amend Coast Guard 
regulations on cruise ship terminal security by implementing amendments 
that provide detailed, flexible requirements for the screening of all 
baggage, personal items, and persons--including passengers, crew, and 
visitors--intended for carriage on a cruise ship. The proposed 
regulations would standardize the security requirements of cruise ship 
terminals and would eliminate redundancies in current regulations that 
govern the security of cruise ship terminals.

DATES: The meeting will be held on February 9, 2015, from 1:00 p.m. 
until 5:00 p.m. The meeting may conclude before the allotted time if 
all matters for discussion have been addressed and there are no 
additional comments from the public. Comments and related material must 
be received by the Coast Guard or the docket management facility on or 
before March 10, 2015.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at Port Everglades Cruise Terminal 
19, First Floor, 2019 Eller Drive, Hollywood, FL 33316. Parking is 
adjacent to the meeting building. Please be prepared to present photo 
identification at the Port's main security gate. Directions are 
available on the Port Everglades Web site at http://www.porteverglades.net/.
    You may submit written comments to the docket using any one of the 
methods described below:
    (1) Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
    (2) Fax: 202-493-2251.
    (3) 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.
    (4) 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.
    To avoid duplication, please use only one of these four methods. 
All comments and related material submitted after the meeting must 
either

[[Page 2840]]

be submitted to the online docket on or before March 10, 2015, or reach 
the Docket Management Facility by that date.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions concerning the 
meeting or the proposed rule, please call or email LT Mason Wilcox, 
Inspections and Compliance Directorate, Office of Port and Facility 
Compliance, Cargo and Facilities Division (CG-FAC-2), Coast Guard, 
telephone (202) 372-1123, email [email protected]. If you have 
questions on viewing or submitting material to the docket, call Ms. 
Cheryl Collins, Program Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-366-
9826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background and Purpose

    On December 10, 2014, the Coast Guard published an NPRM in the 
Federal Register (79 FR 73255) entitled ``Consolidated Cruise Ship 
Security Regulations.'' The Coast Guard proposes to amend the maritime 
security regulations, found in Title 33 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations (33 CFR) subchapter H (parts 101 through 107), to require 
terminal screening programs in existing facility security plans at 
cruise ship terminals within the United States and its territories. 
This proposed rule would standardize screening activities for all 
persons, baggage, and personal effects at cruise ship terminals while 
also allowing for an appropriate degree of flexibility that 
accommodates and is consistent with different terminal sizes and 
operations. This flexible standardization would ensure a consistent 
layer of security at terminals throughout the United States. The 
proposed rule would build upon existing facility security requirements 
in 33 CFR part 105, which implements the Maritime Transportation 
Security Act, Public Law 107-295, 116 Stat. 2064 (November 25, 2002), 
codified at 46 U.S.C. Chapter 701. The Coast Guard consulted the 
Transportation Security Administration during the development of the 
proposed rule.
    The Coast Guard also proposes to remove 33 CFR parts 120 and 128 
because provisions in those parts requiring security officers and 
security plans or programs for cruise ships and cruise ship terminals 
would be redundant with the provisions in 33 CFR subchapter H. Section 
120.220, concerning the reporting of unlawful acts, would also be 
removed because it is obsolete and existing law enforcement protocols 
require members of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) to 
report incidents involving serious violations of U.S. law to the 
nearest Federal Bureau of Investigation field office as soon as 
possible. The Coast Guard will consider issuing additional regulations 
on this subject in a separate rulemaking pursuant to the Cruise Vessel 
Security and Safety Act of 2010 (CVSSA), Public Law 111-207 (July 27, 
2010) (See RIN 1625-AB91).
    This proposed rule does not address the screening of vessel stores, 
bunkers, or cargo. Similarly, it does not affect what items may be 
brought onto a cruise ship by the cruise ship operator, including items 
that passengers may check for secure storage with the cruise operator 
outside of their baggage or carry-ons. Requirements for security 
measures for the delivery of vessel stores, bunkers, and cargo are set 
forth in 33 CFR 104.275, 104.280, 105.265, and 105.270.
    This proposed rule also does not include regulations that may be 
required pursuant to the CVSSA. Although this rule and the CVSSA are 
both concerned with cruise ship security generally, this rule 
consolidates and updates pre-boarding screening requirements while the 
CVSSA prescribes requirements in other areas, such as cruise ship 
design, providing information to passengers, maintaining medications 
and medical staff on board, reporting crime, crew access to passenger 
staterooms, and crime scene preservation training. Delaying 
promulgation of this proposed rule while the regulations required by 
the CVSSA are developed, for the sole purpose of publishing all of 
these regulations together, would unnecessarily deprive the public of 
the benefit of improved cruise ship screening regulations during that 
period.
    You may view the NPRM, and public comments submitted thus far, in 
the online docket by going to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. Once there, search for docket number USCG-2006-
23846, and then click ``Open Docket Folder.'' If you do not have access 
to the internet, you may view the docket online by visiting the Docket 
Management Facility in Room W12-140 on the ground floor of the DOT West 
Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. We 
have an agreement with the Department of Transportation to use the 
Docket Management Facility.
    Anyone can search the electronic form of 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 a Privacy Act notice 
regarding our public dockets in the January 17, 2008, issue of the 
Federal Register (73 FR 3316).

Information on Service for Individuals With Disabilities

    For information on facilities or services for individuals with 
disabilities or to request special assistance at the public meeting, 
contact LT Mason Wilcox at the telephone number or email address 
indicated under the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this 
document.

Meeting Details

    Members of the public may attend this meeting up to the seating 
capacity of the room. We plan to record the meeting using an audio-
digital recorder. The audio recording will be available through a link 
in our online docket.
    Valid government-issued photo identification (for example, a 
driver's license) will be required for entrance to Port Everglades and 
the meeting space. To facilitate the building security process, and to 
request reasonable accommodation, those who plan to attend should 
contact the meeting coordinator, LT Mason Wilcox, at least 7 days prior 
to the meeting by using the contact information in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document. Requests made after 
January 30, 2015, might not be able to be accommodated.
    We encourage you to participate in this meeting by commenting 
orally, or submitting written comments to the Coast Guard personnel 
attending the meeting who are identified to receive them. These 
comments will be posted to the online docket and will include any 
personal information you have provided.

Submitting Other Written Comments

    You may also submit written comments to the docket before or after 
the meeting using any one of the methods described in the ADDRESSES 
section of this document.

    Dated: January 12, 2015.
J.C. Burton,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Director of Inspections and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2015-00772 Filed 1-20-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P