[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 39 (Tuesday, February 27, 2018)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 8416-8417]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-03945]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 600

[Docket No. 160908833-7999-01]
RIN 0648-BG34


Requirements of the Vessel Monitoring System Type-Approval; 
Reopening of Public Comment Period

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: The National Marine Fisheries Service is reopening the public 
comment period on the proposed rule on requirements of the Vessel

[[Page 8417]]

Monitoring System Type-Approval that published on December 5, 2017. The 
comment period ended on January 4, 2018. NMFS did not receive any 
comments on the original proposed rule and has decided to re-open the 
comment period for 30 days to provide additional opportunity for 
informed public comment.

DATES: The deadline for comments on the proposed rule published at 82 
FR 57419 has been reopened from February 27, 2018 to March 29, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the proposed rule, as published 
on December 5, 2017 (82 FR 57419), identified by ``NOAA-HQ-2017-0141'' 
by any of the following methods:
     Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-HQ-2017-0141, click the 
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or 
attach your comments.
     Mail: Send written comments to Kelly Spalding, 1315 East 
West Highway, Room 3207, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
    Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other 
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, 
may not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are a part of the 
public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on 
www.regulations.gov without change. All personally identifiable 
information (e.g.; name, address, etc.), confidential business 
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily 
by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous 
comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain 
anonymous).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelly Spalding, Vessel Monitoring 
System Program Manager, Headquarters: 301-427-8269 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On December 5, 2017, NMFS published in the Federal Register (82 FR 
57419) a proposed rule on NMFS's proposed amendment to remove two 
sections of 50 CFR part 600, subpart Q, that require VMS type-approval 
holders (VMS vendors) to periodically renew their type-approvals. 
Currently, Sec.  600.1512 of the VMS type approval regulations provides 
that type-approvals are valid for three years from the date on which 
NMFS publishes a notice in the Federal Register of the approval. 
Section 600.1513 requires that prior to the expiration of the three-
year type-approval period, the VMS vendor must comply with the 
procedure set out for type-approval renewal. NMFS has found that the 
renewal process is unnecessary, has cost fishermen and approved VMS 
vendors additional time and expense, and has imposed unnecessary cost 
on the government and is therefore proposing to remove the renewal 
requirement from 50 CFR 600, Subpart Q. NMFS refers the reader to the 
December 5, 2017 proposed rule (82 FR 57419) for background information 
concerning the proposed rule as this notice does not repeat the 
information contained therein.

Public Comment Reopening

    NMFS will re-open the comment period for 30 days to provide 
additional opportunity for informed public comment.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: February 22, 2018.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-03945 Filed 2-26-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P