[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 136 (Friday, July 15, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 46042-46043]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-16691]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

46 CFR Chapter I

[Docket No. USCG-2016-0669]


Draft Revisions to the Marine Safety Manual, Volume III, Parts B 
and C, Change-2

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability with request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces the availability of a draft update 
to the Marine Safety Manual (MSM), Volume III, Marine Industry 
Personnel, and the corresponding Commandant Change Notice that 
highlights the changes made

[[Page 46043]]

to that manual. MSM Volume III provides information and interpretations 
on international conventions and U.S. statutes and regulations relating 
to marine industry personnel. This draft Commandant Change Notice 
discusses the substantive changes to Parts B and C of MSM Volume III. 
The proposed changes are red-lined and each changed page is annotated 
with CH-2 in the footer. Additionally, we have created a document that 
provides a summary of each change. The Coast Guard seeks and will 
consider comments on these draft changes before issuing a final version 
of MSM Volume III.

DATES: Guidance documents discussed in this document should be 
available in the online docket within 3 business days of July 15, 2016. 
Comments must be received by the Coast Guard on or before September 13, 
2016.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number ``USCG-
2016-0669'' using the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. See the ``Public Participation and Request for 
Comments'' portion of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for further 
instructions on submitting comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about this document 
call of email Lieutenant Commander Corydon Heard, U.S. Coast Guard; 
telephone 409-978-2704, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background and Purpose

    Volume III of the Marine Safety Manual (MSM) provides information 
and interpretations on international conventions and U.S. statutes and 
regulations relating to marine industry personnel. The last updates to 
Volume III of the MSM were released on July 30, 2014 (79 FR 45451, Aug. 
5, 2014). This document announces updates to portions of Part B and C.
    Specifically, substantive changes include: (1) Updated guidance to 
align with the Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act 
of 2014; (2) manning scales for towing vessels certificated under 46 
CFR Subchapter M from the recently published Inspection of Towing 
Vessels final rule (81 FR 40003, June 20, 2016); and (3) various policy 
updates involving vessel manning.
    In addition to red-lining proposed changes and annotating each 
changed page with CH-2 in the footer, we have created a change matrix 
identifying proposed changes. Both of these documents are available for 
viewing in the public docket.
    It should be noted that the proposed revisions in this draft change 
are not intended to preempt or take the place of separate policy 
initiatives regarding specific decisions on appeal or future 
regulations. Future changes to the MSM may be released if the Coast 
Guard promulgates new regulations or issues appeal decisions, which may 
affect the guidance and information contained within the MSM.

Public Participation and Comments

    We encourage you to submit comments (or related material) on our 
draft Commandant Change Notice 16000, CH-2 to the Marine Safety Manual, 
Volume III, Marine Industry Personnel, COMDTINST M16000.8B, which is in 
the docket and contains substantive changes to Parts B and C of MSM 
Volume III. We will consider all submissions and may adjust our final 
action based on your comments. If you submit a comment, please include 
the docket number for this notice, indicate the specific section of the 
Commandant Change Notice to which each comment applies, and provide a 
reason for each suggestion or recommendation.
    We encourage you to submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. If your material cannot be 
submitted using http://www.regulations.gov, contact the person in the 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document for alternate 
instructions. Documents mentioned in this notice, and all public 
comments, are in our online docket at http://www.regulations.gov and 
can be viewed by following that Web site's instructions. Additionally, 
if you go to the online docket and sign up for email alerts, you will 
be notified when comments are posted or the Coast Guard publishes 
another document related to the draft Marine Safety Manual, Volume III, 
Parts B and C, Change-2.
    We accept anonymous comments. All comments received will be posted 
without change to http://www.regulations.gov and will include any 
personal information you have provided. For more about privacy and the 
docket, you may review a Privacy Act notice regarding the Federal 
Docket Management System in the March 24, 2005, issue of the Federal 
Register (70 FR 15086).
    This document is issued under authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a).

    Dated: July 11, 2016.
Verne B. Gifford,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Director, Inspections and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2016-16691 Filed 7-14-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-04-P