[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 183 (Friday, September 22, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44433-44435]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-20209]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2017-0768]


Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee

AGENCY: U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security.

ACTION: Notice of Federal Advisory Committee meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee and its 
Working Groups will meet to discuss various issues related to the 
training and fitness of merchant marine personnel. The meetings will be 
open to the public.

DATES: The Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee and its Working 
Groups are scheduled to meet on Thursday, October 26, 2017, from 8 a.m.

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until 5:30 p.m., and the full Committee is scheduled to meet on Friday 
October 27, 2017, from 8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Please note that these 
meetings may adjourn early if the Committee has completed its business.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the U.S. Coast Guard National 
Maritime Center in the Dales Larson Room on the third floor, 100 Forbes 
Drive, Martinsburg, WV 25404-0001 (https://www.uscg.mil/nmc/).
    Pre-registration Information: Pre-registration is required for 
access to U.S. Coast Guard, National Maritime Center. Foreign nationals 
participating will be required to pre-register no later than 4 p.m. on 
October 11, 2017, to be admitted to the meeting. U.S. citizens 
participating will be required to pre-register no later than 4 p.m. on 
October 18, 2017, to be admitted to the meeting. To pre-register, 
contact Mr. Davis Breyer at [email protected] or (202) 372-1445. 
You will be asked to provide your name and telephone number. In 
addition, please provide the company or group in which you are 
affiliated. Foreign nationals will also need to provide your country of 
citizenship, passport country, country of residence, place of birth, 
passport number, and expiration date. All attendees will be required to 
provide a REAL ID Act-compliant government-issued picture 
identification card in order to gain admittance to the building. For 
more information on REAL ID and to check the compliance status of your 
state/territory, please see https://www.dhs.gov/real-id and https://www.dhs.gov/real-id-public-faqs.
    For information on facilities or services for individuals with 
disabilities or to request special assistance at the meeting, contact 
the Alternate Designated Federal Officer as soon as possible using the 
contact information provided in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 
section of this notice.
    Instructions: You are free to submit comments at any time, 
including orally at the meetings, but if you want Committee members to 
review your comment before the meetings, please submit your comments no 
later than October 18, 2017. We are particularly interested in comments 
on the issues in the ``Agenda'' section below. You must include 
``Department of Homeland Security'' and the docket number USCG-2017-
0768. Written comments may also be submitted using the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. If you encounter 
technical difficulties with comments submission, contact the individual 
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section below. Comments 
received will be posted without alteration at http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. You 
may review the Privacy and Security Notice for the Federal Docket 
Management System at https://www.regulations.gov/privacyNotice.
    Docket Search: For access to the docket to read documents or 
comments related to this notice, go to http://www.regulations.gov, type 
USCG-2017-0768 in the ``Search'' box, press Enter, and then click on 
the item you wish to view.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Davis Breyer, Alternate Designated 
Federal Officer of the Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee, 
2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE., Stop 7509, Washington, DC 20593-
7509, telephone 202-372-1445, fax 202-372-8382 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice of this meeting is given pursuant to 
the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Title 5 United States Code 
Appendix.
    The Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee was established 
under authority of section 310 of the Howard Coble Coast Guard and 
Maritime Transportation Act of 2014, codified at Title 46, United 
States Code, section 8108, and chartered under the provisions of the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act (Title 5, United States Code, Appendix). 
The Committee acts solely in an advisory capacity to the Secretary of 
the Department of Homeland Security through the Commandant of the U.S. 
Coast Guard on matters relating to personnel in the United States 
merchant marine, including training, qualifications, certification, 
documentation, and fitness standards and other matters as assigned by 
the Commandant. The Committee shall also review and comment on proposed 
U.S. Coast Guard regulations and policies relating to personnel in the 
United States merchant marine, including training, qualifications, 
certification, documentation, and fitness standards; may be given 
special assignments by the Secretary and may conduct studies, 
inquiries, workshops, and fact finding in consultation with individuals 
and groups in the private sector and with State or local governments; 
and shall advise, consult with, and make recommendations reflecting its 
independent judgment to the Secretary.

Agenda

Day 1

    The agenda for the October 26, 2017, meeting is as follows:
    (1) The full Committee will meet briefly to discuss the Working 
Groups' business/task statements, which are listed under paragraph 
3(a)-(h) below.
    (2) Working Groups will separately address the following task 
statements which are available for viewing at https://homeport.uscg.mil/merpac:
    (a) Task Statement 87, Review of policy documents providing 
guidance on the implementation of the December 24, 2013, International 
Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for 
Seafarers rulemaking;
    (b) Task Statement 96, Review and comment on the course and program 
approval requirements including 46 CFR 10.402, 10.403, 10.407 and 
Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular 03-14 guidelines for approval 
of training courses and programs;
    (c) Task Statement 98, Continue the progress made by the military 
services towards meeting the goals on the use of Military Education, 
Training and Assessment for STCW and National Mariner Endorsements as 
identified in the Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation 
Act of 2014 and subsequent legislation;
    (d) Task Statement 99, Review and comment on the ``Guidelines for 
Issuing Endorsement for Tankerman PIC Restricted to Fuel Transfers on 
Towing Vessels'' policy letter (CG-MMC Policy Letter No. 01-17);
    (e) Task Statement 100, Provide input to MARAD's working group that 
will examine and assess the size of the pool of U.S. mariners necessary 
to support the U.S. flag fleet in times of national emergency;
    (f) Task Statement 101, Provide feedback and avenues to further 
enhance open communication between external stakeholders and the U.S. 
Coast Guard's mariner credentialing program regarding all aspects of 
the program;
    (g) Task Statement 102, Consider and make recommendations regarding 
the current requirement for a U.S. Merchant Mariner to read and write 
using English;
    (h) Task Statement 103, Input to Support Regulatory Reform of Coast 
Guard Regulations-Executive Orders 13771 and 13783.
    (3) Public comment period.
    (4) Reports of Working Groups. At the end of the day, the Working 
Groups will report to the full Committee on what was accomplished in 
their meetings. The full Committee will not take action on these 
reports on this date. Any official action taken as a result of these

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Working Group meetings will be taken on day two of the meeting.
    (5) Adjournment of meeting.

Day 2

    The agenda for the October 27, 2017, full Committee meeting is as 
follows:
    (1) Introduction.
    (2) Swear in newly appointed Committee members.
    (3) Remarks from U.S. Coast Guard Leadership.
    (4) Designated Federal Officer announcements.
    (5) Roll call of Committee members and determination of a quorum.
    (6) Reports from the following Working Groups:
    (a) Task Statement 87, Review of policy documents providing 
guidance on the implementation of the December 24, 2013, International 
Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for 
Seafarers rulemaking;
    (b) Task Statement 96, Review and comment on the course and program 
approval requirements including 46 CFR 10.402, 10.403, 10.407 and 
Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular 03-14 guidelines for approval 
of training courses and programs;
    (c) Task Statement 98, continue the progress made by the military 
services towards meeting the goals on the use of Military Education, 
Training and Assessment for STCW and National Mariner Endorsements as 
identified in the Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation 
Act of 2014 and subsequent legislation;
    (d) Task Statement 99, Review and comment on the ``Guidelines for 
Issuing Endorsement for Tankerman PIC Restricted to Fuel Transfers on 
Towing Vessels'' policy letter (CG-MMC Policy Letter No. 01-17);
    (e) Task Statement 100, Provide input to MARAD's working group that 
will examine and assess the size of the pool of U.S. mariners necessary 
to support the U.S. flag fleet in times of national emergency;
    (f) Task Statement 101, Provide feedback and avenues to further 
enhance open communication between external stakeholders and the U.S. 
Coast Guard's mariner credentialing program regarding all aspects of 
the program;
    (g) Task Statement 102, consider and make recommendations regarding 
the current requirement for a U.S. Merchant Mariner to read and write 
using English;
    (h) Task Statement 103, Input to Support Regulatory Reform of Coast 
Guard Regulations-Executive Orders 13771 and 13783.
    (7) Other items for discussion:
    (a) Report on the Mariner Credentialing Program;
    (b) Report on National Maritime Center activities from the National 
Maritime Center Commanding Officer, such as medical requirements and 
legal authorities;
    (c) Briefings about on-going U.S. Coast Guard projects related to 
personnel in the U.S. merchant marine.
    (8) Public comment period.
    (9) Discussion of Working Group recommendations.
    The Committee will review the information presented on each issue, 
deliberate on any recommendations presented by the Working Groups, 
approve/formulate recommendations and close any completed tasks. 
Official action on these recommendations may be taken on this date.
    (10) Closing remarks/plans for next meeting.
    (11) Adjournment of meeting.
    A public comment period will be held during each Working Group and 
full Committee meeting concerning matters being discussed.
    A copy of all meeting documentation will be available at https://homeport.uscg.mil/merpac no later than October 18, 2017. Alternatively, 
you may contact Mr. Davis Breyer as noted in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION section above.
    Public comments will be limited to three minutes per speaker. 
Please note that the public comment periods will end following the last 
call for comments. Please contact Mr. Davis Breyer, listed in the FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section, to register as a speaker.
    Please note that the meeting may adjourn early if the work is 
completed.

    Dated: September 18, 2017.
Jeffrey G. Lantz,
Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2017-20209 Filed 9-21-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-04-P