[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 62 (Monday, April 1, 2019)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 12102-12119]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-06272]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 105

[Docket No. USCG-2013-1087]
RIN 1625-AC15


Seafarers' Access to Maritime Facilities

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is issuing a final rule requiring each owner 
or operator of a maritime facility regulated by the Coast Guard to 
implement a system providing seafarers, pilots, and representatives of 
seamen's welfare and labor organizations access between vessels moored 
at the facility and the facility gate, in a timely manner and at no 
cost to the seafarer or other individuals. These access procedures must 
be documented in the Facility Security Plan for each facility, and 
approved by the local Captain of the Port. This final rule, which 
implements a congressional mandate, ensures that no facility owner or 
operator denies or makes it impractical for seafarers or other 
individuals to transit through the facility.

DATES: This final rule is effective May 1, 2019.

ADDRESSES: You may view supplemental material identified by docket 
number USCG-2013-1087 using the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about this document, 
call or email LCDR Myles J. Greenway, Cargo and Facilities Division 
(CG-FAC-2), Coast Guard; telephone 202-372-1168, email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents for Preamble

I. Abbreviations
II. Basis and Purpose
III. Regulatory History
IV. Discussion of Comments and Changes
V. Regulatory Analyses
    A. Regulatory Planning and Review
    B. Small Entities
    C. Assistance for Small Entities
    D. Collection of Information
    E. Federalism
    F. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
    G. Taking of Private Property
    H. Civil Justice Reform
    I. Protection of Children
    J. Indian Tribal Governments
    K. Energy Effects
    L. Technical Standards
    M. Environment

I. Abbreviations

ASP Alternate Security Program
ATB Articulated tug barge
BLS U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
CBP U.S. Customs and Border Protection
CFR Code of Federal Regulations
CGAA Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010
COTP Captain of the Port
DHS Department of Homeland Security
DoS Declaration of Security
FR Federal Register
FRFA Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
FSO Facility security officer
FSP Facility security plan
ISPS Code International Ship and Port Facility Security Code
ITB Integrated tug barge
MISLE Marine Information for Safety and Law Enforcement
MTSA Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002
NAICS North American Industry Classification System
NPRM Notice of proposed rulemaking
OMB Office of Management and Budget
RA Regulatory analysis
Sec.  Section symbol
SBA Small Business Administration
SCI Seamen's Church Institute
SME Subject matter expert
TWIC Transportation Worker Identification Credential
U.S.C. United States Code

II. Basis and Purpose

    Throughout the maritime sector, vessels arrive at facilities 
regulated by the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA) 
(Pub. L. 107-295, codified at 46 U.S.C. 70101 et seq.) for any number 
of commercial and other purposes. These vessels are operated by 
seafarers,\1\ who are individuals assigned to work on a vessel and who 
may be at sea for days, weeks, or months as part of their employment on 
that vessel. Generally, transiting through a MTSA-regulated facility is 
the only way for seafarers to access the shore, and the services, 
businesses, family members, and friends, among other things, beyond the 
vessel and the facility. Additionally, individuals providing services 
for seafarers, or having another legitimate purpose for accessing the 
vessel, can generally access a vessel moored at an MTSA-regulated 
facility only by transiting through the facility.
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    \1\ The terms ``seafarer'' and ``seaman'' are synonymous (as are 
their plural forms, ``seafarers'' and ``seamen''), and are used 
interchangeably in this final rule.
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    Section 811 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 (CGAA) 
(Pub. L. 111-281, codified at 46 U.S.C. 70103 note) requires facility 
owners and operators to ensure shore access for seafarers and other 
individuals. Specifically, section 811 requires each MTSA-regulated 
facility to ``provide a system for seamen assigned to a vessel at that 
facility, pilots, and representatives of seamen's welfare and labor 
organizations to board and depart the vessel through the facility in a 
timely manner at no cost to the individual.''
    In addition, MTSA-regulated facilities must implement national 
maritime security initiatives, including the provision of security 
measures for access control. Coast Guard access-control regulations in 
title 33 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Sec.  105.255, 
require MTSA-regulated facilities to control an individual's access to 
the facility and designate secure areas within the facility, unless the 
individual is either authorized to access that area or is escorted by 
someone who is authorized to access that area. Accordingly, facility 
owners and operators must consider the security implications of 
permitting seafarers and other individuals to transit through their 
facilities. Coast Guard regulations at 33 CFR 105.200(b)(9) require 
MTSA-regulated facilities to ensure coordination of shore leave for

[[Page 12103]]

these persons. Finally, the Coast Guard administers facility security 
plans under the authority of 46 U.S.C. 70103(c), which is delegated to 
the Coast Guard by DHS delegation number 0170.1 (II)(97)(b).
    This regulatory action is necessary to help ensure that owners and 
operators of MTSA-regulated facilities provide seafarers and other 
covered individuals with the ability to transit through the facility in 
a timely manner, at no cost to the individuals. In addition, this 
regulatory action is necessary to help ensure that facility owners and 
operators provide the same no-cost access between a vessel and facility 
gate to covered individuals with a legitimate purpose for accessing the 
vessel. By statute, these individuals include representatives of 
seafarers' welfare and labor organizations, and pilots. Access by these 
statutorily authorized persons will be in accordance with the Facility 
Security Plan (FSP).

III. Regulatory History

    On December 29, 2014, the Coast Guard published a notice of 
proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to solicit comments on Seafarers' Access to 
Maritime Facilities (79 FR 77981). We proposed requiring each owner or 
operator of a MTSA-regulated facility to implement a system allowing 
seafarers and other individuals to have access between vessels moored 
at the facility and the facility gate. Under the proposal, access 
should be in a timely manner and at no cost to the seafarer or other 
individual.
    In that NPRM, we also published a notice of public meeting to 
solicit additional public comments. The Coast Guard held this public 
meeting in Washington, DC, on January 23, 2015.
    The initial comment period on the NPRM closed on February 27, 2015. 
On May 27, 2015, we reopened the public comment period for an 
additional 60 days (80 FR 30189), based on comments requesting an 
extension of the comment period and also to specifically seek input on 
our estimate of a 10.3-percent noncompliance rate for facilities with 
respect to providing seafarers' access. We stated that we would 
consider all public comments on the NPRM received during the reopened 
comment period.
    The second comment period closed on July 27, 2015 (80 FR 32512). In 
total, the Coast Guard received comments from 163 commenters. The 
commenters represented private individuals, port authorities, pilots' 
associations, industry groups, professional mariner associations, 
seafarers' unions, seafarers' churches and centers, other mariner non-
governmental organizations, the World Shipping Council, and the Company 
of Master Mariners of Canada.
    As a result of the public comments received on the NPRM, we made 
two changes to this final rule. First, we changed the types of 
individuals to which the rule applies, to mirror section 811 of the 
CGAA (Pub. L. 111-281, codified at 46 U.S.C. 70103 note), by deleting 
the proposed category of ``other authorized individuals''. Second, we 
changed the regulations to address concerns raised by commenters about 
the need to modify their facility security plans (FSPs) to accommodate 
the no-cost mandate of the rule.
    Additionally, we proposed to add Sec.  101.112 on federalism, but a 
rule published in 2016 put identical language in place, so we have 
removed that amendatory instruction (see 81 FR 57652, 57708, effective 
date August 23, 2018).

IV. Discussion of Comments and Changes

    In this section, we organize the public comments we received into 
18 categories. In each category, we feature a brief description of the 
comments and our responses to those comments.

(1) Transportation Worker Identification Credential Issues

    This section discusses comments received on possible interaction 
between Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) 
requirements and the access requirements established by this final 
rule. As we explain in our responses that follow, this rule does not 
change existing TWIC requirements, and whether escorts are or are not 
required under TWIC rules does not affect the obligation to provide no-
cost access to the seafarer. The facility has flexibility to decide how 
to comply with its TWIC requirements and the no-cost access 
requirements of this rule.
    Several commenters noted that a TWIC should be sufficient 
identification for a mariner to have unescorted access to a facility.
    While it may be possible on some facilities to design a system for 
unescorted access, the concern for secure areas of the facility remains 
paramount. To be granted unescorted access to the secure areas of a 
facility, the facility security regulations in 33 CFR 105.255 require a 
person to have a TWIC and to be authorized to access to the secure 
areas of a facility. A TWIC, by itself, does not satisfy the regulatory 
requirement and some facilities may opt for escorts to protect the 
secure areas of the facility. Other facilities may develop a system 
that does not require escorts. Based upon the variety of scenarios 
under which a facility has the flexibility to decide how to comply with 
the TWIC and the no cost requirements of this rule, a facility has the 
option to use equipment and implement procedures that would allow 
unescorted access.
    Congress requires MTSA-regulated facilities to grant access through 
the facility to seafarers at no cost to the seafarer. This rule does 
not change the requirement to escort or otherwise monitor the access of 
a person who is not authorized to have unescorted access to the 
facility.
    A few commenters stated that seafarers may be precluded from taking 
taxis from the vessel to the facility gate because taxi drivers do not 
hold TWICs.
    We recognize that the method of transfer between a vessel in port 
and the port facility gate may preclude certain options, such as taxis. 
It is also possible that taxi drivers could obtain TWICs and the Coast 
Guard is aware of several taxi companies that have drivers who have 
already obtained a TWIC. We are providing facility owners with the 
flexibility to implement a system to provide access that is tailored to 
each facility.
    Other commenters expressed concern that the requirements for the 
seafarers' access program will duplicate existing TWIC escort 
requirements. They urged the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to 
allow individual facilities under the Alternative Security Program 
(ASP) to add a seafarers' access system as an annex to their current 
FSP and to submit the annex to the Captain of the Port (COTP) for 
review and approval.
    We concur with the comment. In lieu of amending the ASP and 
submitting the entire plan to the COTP for approval, the owner or 
operator of a facility covered under an ASP may submit an annex for 
each facility that explains how the facility will comply with the 
requirements of this final rule.
    One commenter noted that the port of Port Everglades, Florida, is a 
restricted area inside a restricted area, and should not be accessed by 
any individual who does not possess a TWIC without a proper escort.
    This final rule provides no-cost access for seafarers and other 
covered individuals to a port facility gate. Security of the facility 
or who has access to it should already be addressed by the FSP that was 
approved by the COTP for each port. Each port facility should ensure 
that its FSP is updated and approved to reflect the mandates of the law 
to provide no-cost access for seafarers and other covered individuals.
    One commenter stated that ``other authorized individuals'' are 
generally

[[Page 12104]]

eligible to receive TWICs, but that this is not the case for non-U.S. 
seafarers. These seafarers should not be penalized for their inability 
to obtain TWICs, and, according to the commenter, they are treated as 
criminals because of their lack of visas. Fair treatment of non-U.S. 
mariners who are allowed access would help to ensure fair treatment of 
U.S. mariners abroad.
    This comment is beyond the scope of this rulemaking, as this final 
rule concerns no-cost access through facilities, not unescorted access 
or the inability to obtain a TWIC. This rule does not change the 
requirement to escort or otherwise monitor the access of a person who 
is not authorized to have unescorted access to the facility.

(2) Seafarer Safety Concerning Access to Port Facility Gates

    Many commenters noted that they have experienced unsafe conditions 
while attempting to gain facility access, and believe that safe 
transportation and pedestrian walkways must be mandated. Many 
commenters also complained that the current methods of allowing 
seafarers access are burdensome, expensive, or unsafe. Another 
commenter noted that they saw no reason to make special accommodations 
for seafarers if facility operators feel that safety and security is 
reduced if such seafarers are allowed on the facility.
    Several commenters stated that this rule jeopardizes the ability of 
private port facilities to deny access to the docks out of safety 
concerns to mariners, and also noted the possibility that the free 
movement of mariners about the docks could impose an undue burden on 
dock operators and create an unsafe situation for mariners.
    One commenter fully endorsed safe transit for mariners to and from 
the facility gate, and believed that such safe passage must be 
mandated.
    The purpose of this final rule is to implement the Congressional 
requirement of no-cost access for seafarers and certain support 
organizations through MTSA-regulated facilities. The Coast Guard 
considered mandating specific infrastructure, such as pedestrian 
walkways, but determined that this could be unnecessary and costly in 
many facilities. Moreover, the no-cost access required by section 811 
of the CGAA and this rulemaking does not diminish the requirement for 
facilities to comply with other laws and regulations, such as 
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements under 
29 CFR. This final rule provides facility owners and operators with 
flexibility to ensure the safe passage of seafarers to and from the 
facilities' gates through a variety of methods. It remains the 
responsibility of the facility owner or operator to ensure safety in 
accordance with the approved FSP on file. If conditions are unsafe or 
overly burdensome at certain facilities, mariners are encouraged to 
contact the local COTP to report such unsafe or overly burdensome 
conditions.

(3) Cost Concerns Associated With the Requirement for ``No Cost'' 
Access to Port Facility Gates

    Many commenters were concerned with the cost of providing seafarers 
with no-cost access to facility gates. Some commenters said that the 
vessel owner or operator should bear the financial cost of providing 
access to facilities, while others said that the facility should bear 
the cost, and one commenter said the cost should not be borne by only 
one stakeholder. Several commenters proposed regulatory text placing 
the financial burden on one party or the other. Two commenters said the 
rule should be amended to clearly state that costs for providing access 
to facilities can be charged back to the vessel owner, because 
relieving vessel owners or operators from the financial burden of no-
cost access goes beyond the intent of the CGAA.
    The CGAA does not specify who should pay for no-cost access for 
seafarers. Ultimately, the Coast Guard determined that it is the 
facility's responsibility to provide the no cost service, as Coast 
Guard regulations already require each facility to have an approved 
FSP, which must now include a system for providing no-cost access to 
the facility for certain individuals. However, the Coast Guard declined 
to specifically prohibit charges to the vessel, and let parties decide 
the allocation of costs between facility and vessel. This rule provides 
flexibility to facilities on how to comply with the mandate and how to 
provide no-cost access for seafarers, as long as its solution does not 
result in a cost to seafarers.
    Some commenters suggested that the rule should allow ``reasonable 
fees'' that can be passed on to the vessel owner to pay for seafarers' 
access. Many commenters noted that if facility owners are allowed to 
charge the vessel for seafarer access, the vessel owner will charge the 
mariner for access, and the intent of the law will be frustrated.
    We are advising COTPs, through formal and informal communications 
with field units, to be on the lookout for this problem. Facilities 
that violate any provision of this rule are subject to enforcement by 
the COTP. Under 46 U.S.C. 70119 and 33 CFR 101.415(b), any person who 
does not comply with the applicable requirements, including 33 CFR part 
105, is liable to the U.S. for a civil penalty of not more than $25,000 
for each violation.\2\
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    \2\ The statutory penalty amount is adjusted annually to keep 
pace with inflation: The current amount of this penalty is located 
in 33 CFR 27.3.
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    Pursuant to the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea 
(SOLAS) Chapter XI-2, the International Ship and Port Facility (ISPS) 
Code, the International Maritime Organization's ``Reminder in 
Connection with Shore Leave and Access to Ships'' MSC/1/Circ.1342, and 
the 2016 Amendments to the Convention on the Facilitation of 
International Maritime Traffic (FAL) Annex 1, there is an 
internationally recognized obligation to protect the interest of 
seafarer's shore leave, including shoreside access. As stated in Annex 
1 of the FAL, ``Crew members shall be allowed ashore by the public 
authorities while the ship on which they arrive is in port, provided 
that the formalities on arrival of the ship have been fulfilled and the 
public authorities have no reason to refuse permission to come ashore 
for public health, public safety or public order. Shore leave shall be 
allowed in a manner which excludes discrimination such as on the 
grounds of nationality, race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion, 
or social origin and irrespective of the flag State of the ship on 
which they employed, engaged or work.'' If private actors thwart or 
hinder the ability of the United States to fulfill its international 
obligations, such as by imposing fees on crewmembers as a condition to 
shoreside access in the United States, any and all legal and diplomatic 
responses, to include notification to the vessel's flag-state, may be 
taken by the U.S. Government. Should the practice of the vessel owner 
charging the seamen for access prove to be an on-going issue for 
seamen, we will consider the possibility of amending the regulations, 
or even seeking new statutory authority, to deal with the matter.

(4) The Proposed Rule Underestimated the Cost of Compliance for 
Facilities

    Several commenters stated that the Coast Guard's regulatory 
analysis underestimated the cost of compliance for facilities. One 
commenter stated that annual facility costs amount to $75,000 annually 
and others stated the $1,121 they reference in their comments is an 
underestimation and the actual costs will likely be higher than the 
costs we estimated in the proposed rule. One commenter also stated 
``the expansion of covered individuals will likely

[[Page 12105]]

exceed $1,121 per year''. Another commenter stated the annual expense 
could be $50,000 as a result of the proposed rule. Another commenter 
presented a third-party cost estimate of $185,000 for intra-terminal 
seafarer shuttle services for two of five facilities. Included in some 
comments is a reference to family members and who would bear the cost.
    Based on these comments and information provided in these comments, 
we revised our regulatory analysis for the final rule by increasing the 
number of trips that a security guard may make. As a result, the costs 
for facilities that choose method 1 increased from about $64,000 
initially in the proposed rule, to about $99,000 in this final rule. 
For facilities that choose method 2, costs increased from our estimate 
in the proposed rule of about $52,000 initially to about $77,000 
initially in the final rule. Additionally, estimated annual recurring 
costs for method 1 increased from about $36,000 in the proposed rule to 
about $67,583 for the final rule. Annual recurring costs for method 2 
increased from about $24,000 in the proposed rule to about $45,000 in 
the final rule. Please see the supporting regulatory analysis for more 
detailed cost estimates.
    Concerning the $1,121 cost referenced by several commenters, 
apparently, commenters divided the estimated annualized cost of about 
$2.8 million (with annual costs discounted over a 10-year period at a 7 
percent discount rate) by the total number of MTSA-regulated facilities 
of 2,469. However, in the NPRM, we estimated the majority, 90% of the 
facilities, were already compliant and would not incur any additional 
costs as a result of this rule. By dividing the annualized cost by the 
total population of MTSA-regulated facilities the commenter has 
incorrectly estimated a lower cost per facility than the NPRM actually 
reported. The regulatory analysis only estimated the costs that 
noncompliant MTSA-regulated facilities would incur.
    Additionally using the average cost per facility does not take into 
account the different methods with which a facility can choose to 
comply with this rule. The five different methods of compliance 
estimated in the regulatory analysis vary significantly in cost.
    For example, in the NPRM, we estimated that 10 percent or 42 out of 
420 facilities will choose method 1, which we estimate will cost a 
facility on average about $99,143 in the initial year. However, for 
method 5 the NPRM estimated the initial year costs to be $180. 
Therefore, it is more appropriate to evaluate the estimated costs for 
facilities based on the method chosen by a given facility.
    Regarding the cost of ``individuals covered'' and the potential for 
security-related problems these individuals may pose. In response to 
public comments, the Coast Guard removed the terms ``other authorized 
personnel'' and ``other authorized individuals'' from paragraph (b) of 
Sec.  105.237 (see section 4 below). We expect the removal of these 
terms in the final rule will reduce the number of authorized 
individuals who would have access to MTSA regulated facilities and 
would potentially result in lower costs to the facilities depending on 
which method of compliance the facility chooses.
    Table 1 below provides the final rule's estimated costs by method.

                                        Table 1--Average Annual Cost per Method Over a 10-Year Period of Analysis
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                         Compliance method                               Method 1         Method 2         Method 3         Method 4         Method 5
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Weighted Average Annual Cost per Method............................         $70,795          $48,267           $3,153           $1,576             $191
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    Regarding the cost for allowing family members, we have removed 
``family members'' from paragraph (b) of Sec.  105.237 of this rule and 
the supporting regulatory analysis does not include costs for these 
individuals.

(5) The Proposed Rule Underestimated the Noncompliance Rate

    One commenter noted that the percentage of seafarers denied access 
to facilities is actually much higher than the 10 percent noted in the 
proposed rule (79 FR 77981). Several commenters also stated that we 
underestimated the number of seafarers calling on MTSA-regulated 
facilities in the proposed rule and the number of seafarers who would 
benefit from the proposed rule estimate is much higher.
    We conducted an initial regulatory flexibility analysis and a 
regulatory impact analysis for this rule and offered these analyses for 
public comment. After receiving comments regarding the 10.3-percent 
noncompliance rate of facilities, and the costs associated with 
implementing the rule, we reopened the comment period, specifically 
asking for input on these figures. We received no further comments on 
these matters. In 2016, the Seamen's Church Institute (SCI) released 
its annual survey and based on this survey, discussions with SCI, 
public comments, and facility population information, we calculated a 
new non-compliance rate of 17 percent (35 known noncompliant MSTA-
regulated facilities in the 2016 SCI survey identified by the Coast 
Guard, out of 203 surveyed by SCI in its 2016 survey).
    SCI in its 2015 report compiled data about shore access at 
facilities actually visited by port chaplains stating, ``The data does 
not reflect the number of seafarers who were detained on ships in the 
terminals where chaplains and seafarers were denied access through the 
terminals. This report is based on restrictions actually observed by 
chaplains in their ship visits; accordingly, the number of seafarers 
being denied shore leave by terminal restrictions is probably under-
reported.'' The Coast Guard concedes that there is an 
underrepresentation of data based on chaplain access to facilities in 
the 2015 report; however, SCI made this statement in its 2015 report 
only and not in its subsequent 2016, 2017, and 2018 annual reports. 
Most ports visited by chaplains in SCI's 2016, 2017 and 2018 surveys 
allow unrestricted access to chaplains as stated in the reports. 
Moreover, their public comment indicates the noncompliance rate could 
be higher than the rate we extrapolated from their surveys in the NPRM.
    Based on their comment we reached out to SCI and were able to 
specifically identify the noncompliant MTSA-regulated facilities in the 
2016 SCI survey. This allowed us to narrow the scope of the analysis to 
only those facilities that would be affected by this rule and provided 
us with the best estimate of noncompliant MTSA-regulated facilities 
available. We were unable to separate out the MTSA-regulated facilities 
in SCI's 2017 & 2018 report which is why we did not use the more recent 
surveys.
    We acknowledge that the noncompliance rate could be different than 
our estimated 17 percent noncompliance rate used in this final rule, 
which we based on SCI's 2016 survey. However, this is the best data we 
were able to obtain. Although several commenters provided information 
on specific ports, we were not able to estimate an overall

[[Page 12106]]

compliance rate based on the data they provided.
    By using a 17 percent noncompliance rate from known non-compliant 
facilities only and applying it to the total number of estimated MTSA-
regulated facilities of 2,469, we obtained the number of about 420 
facilities (2,469 facilities x 0.17) that will be modifying operations, 
in addition to documenting the changes in their FSPs.
    Regarding the number of seafarers who would benefit from the 
proposed rule. In the supporting regulatory analysis for the proposed 
rule, we stated that on average from 2006 to 2014, 907 seafarers were 
denied access due to terminal restrictions and that the proposed rule 
would ensure access to these seafarers. We obtained this figure using 
SCI's reports that they published in these years. In the supporting 
regulatory analysis for the final rule, we removed this number and 
present a noncompliance rate, which we apply to facilities and not to a 
quantified number of seafarers calling on MTSA-regulated facilities or 
the actual number of seafarers who would benefit from the proposed 
rule. In addition, we did not rely on another report, which references 
several databases, mentioned by one commenter because we could not use 
the data in the report to determine the number of seafarers being 
denied access at MTSA-regulated facilities.
    One commenter said that if only 10 percent of facilities are not 
providing these services, the Coast Guard should focus solely on those 
facilities instead of changing the entire system. In addition, other 
commenters complained that this rule places too high a burden on 
facilities. For example, one commenter stated that the rule would 
result in extreme changes to its FSP.
    The statute directs that ``each'' FSP ``shall provide a system'' 
for no-cost access to the facility. The Coast Guard does not have 
discretion to waive this requirement, or to apply it only to certain 
facilities. We expect all MTSA-regulated facilities to provide a system 
for no-cost access to the facility and update their FSPs to document 
their system of access. As a result, these facilities will incur 
operational costs and costs to modify their FSPs.

(6) The Rule Should Explicitly Define the Individuals Who Are Allowed 
No-Cost Access for Seafarers to Port Facility Gates

    Several commenters discussed the question of who should be allowed 
no-cost access, as 33 CFR 105.237(b) proposed access for (1) the 
seafarers assigned to a vessel moored at the facility; (2) the pilots 
and other authorized personnel performing work for a vessel moored at 
the facility; (3) representatives of seafarers' welfare and labor 
organizations; and (4) other authorized individuals in accordance with 
the DoS or other arrangement between the vessel and facility. One 
commenter believed that proposed Sec.  105.237(b)(2) went beyond the 
intent of the CGAA by expanding the list to ``other authorized 
personnel.''
    Several commenters asked the Coast Guard to define ``other 
authorized individuals'' in Sec.  105.237(b)(4), saying that this 
catch-all category (1) was too broad in scope, (2) could jeopardize the 
safety and security of the facility, and (3) could become very costly 
for facilities to provide no-cost access to such a wide array of 
people. On the other hand, some commenters encouraged the Coast Guard 
to extend no-cost access to the maximum number of individuals, 
including those individuals not already enumerated in the proposed 
rule. For example, one commenter stated that the proposed ``other 
authorized individuals'' category should include ship service 
providers. Another commenter stated that pilots should be their own 
category of individuals covered by the seafarer's access requirements 
of this rule.
    After consideration of the public comments, we agree that the rule 
should explicitly enumerate which persons or groups are provided no-
cost access, and that the list proposed in the NPRM was more extensive 
than the requirements in Section 811 of the CGAA. As such, we are 
limiting the no-cost access requirement to the people and groups 
specifically required by the Act. We removed proposed paragraph (b)(4), 
the ``other authorized individuals'' category from the list of 
individuals in Sec.  105.237(b), for whom no-cost access will be 
provided. We also removed the category of ``other authorized 
personnel'' in paragraph (b)(2), following pilots. In striking these 
additional categories of personnel, we are not prohibiting these 
individuals from accessing a facility or a vessel. That decision is 
based on the individual facility's FSP, which is approved by the COTP. 
Rather, by deleting these categories of personnel from the no-cost 
list, we are removing those types of personnel from the list of 
individuals for whom the facility must provide no-cost access. Finally, 
as previously stated, we also revised Sec.  105.237(b)(2) of this final 
rule to solely reference pilots as an enumerated group to be provided 
no-cost assess.

(7) Foreign Ports Manage Seafarers' Access Better Than U.S. Ports

    Several commenters noted that many foreign ports have systems in 
place to enable seafarer access to shore resources. One commenter noted 
that the rule should ensure fair treatment of U.S. vessels and non-U.S. 
vessels, and it should ensure that all U.S. ports treat all vessels 
fairly and do not place restrictions on certain vessels.
    We encourage facility owners and COTPs to consider successful 
access systems already in use--including those in foreign ports--when 
designing their own systems for seafarer access.

(8) The Coast Guard Should Extend the Comment Period

    A few commenters asked that we extend the comment period or hold 
one or more public meetings for this rulemaking. One commenter noted 
that comments were not being posted in a timely manner, and one 
commenter believes that the comment period should be extended for 60 
days to allow facilities to realistically study how they will be 
impacted.
    The NPRM was published in the Federal Register on December 29, 
2014, with a 60-day public comment. The Coast Guard held a public 
meeting on January 23, 2015. After requests for more time were 
received, we extended the comment period for an additional 60 days (by 
a document published in the Federal Register on May 27, 2015). We 
believe providing 4 months of public comment and holding a public 
meeting allowed ample opportunity for members of the public and 
industry to read the NPRM and reply with any comments.
    During both public comment periods and the public meeting, we 
received 163 comments. These commenters included private individuals, 
port authorities, pilots associations, industry groups, professional 
mariner associations, seafarers' unions, seafarers' churches and 
centers, other mariner non-governmental organizations, the World 
Shipping Council, and the Company of Master Mariners of Canada. We did 
not exclude any comment that was submitted to the docket.

(9) The Rule Further Restricts Seafarers Who Are Already Restricted by 
Existing Regulations That Do Not Help the Maritime Industry

    Two commenters noted that mariners deal with burdensome security 
requirements already, and the Coast Guard should not further restrict 
mariners with additional regulations and ``red tape.'' One commenter 
argued that the burdensome security

[[Page 12107]]

requirements drive people away from the maritime industry.
    The purpose of this rule is to enable seafarers to obtain no-cost 
access to port facilities. This rule imposes no increase in the 
regulatory burden on the seafarer.

(10) The Proposed Rule Is Burdensome and Lacks Consistency or 
Enforcement

    Some commenters remarked that the proposed rule has burdensome 
procedures. Other commenters noted that the proposed rule has no means 
of consistency or enforcement, and that the Coast Guard has failed to 
enforce provisions set forth by the COTP.
    We disagree. The rule provides facilities with a great deal of 
flexibility in complying with the statutory mandate to provide no-cost 
access for seafarers to the facilities' gates. This flexibility is 
manifested in both the method that a facility may employ to provide no-
cost access and in the manner in which a facility can determine whether 
the no-cost access is timely. Facilities that violate any provision of 
this rule are subject to enforcement by the COTP. Under 46 U.S.C. 70119 
and 33 CFR 101.415(b), any person who does not comply with the 
applicable requirements, including 33 CFR part 105, is liable to the 
U.S. for a civil penalty of not more than $25,000 for each violation.

(11) The Proposed Rule Is Unconstitutional

    One commenter said that the proposed rule is unconstitutional and 
directly conflicts with MTSA.
    We disagree. While the commenter did not specifically cite the 
Takings Clause, the Coast Guard has interpreted the comment to invoke 
this provision of the Constitution (U.S. Constitution, Amendment V). 
Section 811 of the CGAA and proposed 33 CFR 105.237 require facilities 
to provide access that enables individuals to transit to and from a 
vessel moored at the facility and the facility gate, in a timely manner 
and at no cost to the seafarer. Through this rulemaking, the Coast 
Guard does not mandate the facility take any particular action that 
would permanently disrupt the operations at the facility or deny the 
facility owner all economic benefit of the property. Rather, individual 
facilities would have flexibility to implement these requirements in 
the manner best suited for the individual facility when a vessel is 
moored at the facility. Notwithstanding the flexibility provided by the 
proposed rule for facilities to tailor shore access requirements to the 
design and needs of the facility, the commenter did not present the 
Coast Guard with any data or other information to support their claim 
that the proposed rule would constitute a taking (or regulatory taking) 
of the facility's property. In addition, the commenter did not provide 
data or other information to support their statement that the proposed 
rule directly conflicts with MTSA. As the Coast Guard stated in the 
NPRM preamble (79 FR 77981, 77983) and reiterates in this final rule, 
the Coast Guard is authorized to issue regulations governing access 
requirements to MTSA-regulated facilities.

(12) The Proposed Rule Will Have a Positive Economic Impact on 
Communities

    One commenter predicted that this rule will have a positive 
economic impact on communities where secure maritime facilities are 
located.
    Whether that is true or not, Congress has directed the Coast Guard 
to require the FSP to provide a system for seafarers to transit through 
the facility in a timely manner, at no cost to the individuals, and we 
have done that in this final rule.

(13) The Proposed Rule Should Use the Same Language as the 
International Ship and Port Facility Security Code

    Several commenters requested that the rule use the same language as 
the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS) Code. 
Specifically, the commenter recommended that we utilize language from 
the ISPS Code in the FSP to ``facilitate'' access to and from a vessel.
    We believe that the final rule conforms to international 
conventions, specifically the ISPS Code. We have chosen to use the 
words ``implementation of a system'' in Sec.  105.237 as that is a 
stronger imperative than ``facilitate'' and requires positive action on 
the part of the facility to devise and put in place a system in 
accordance with the mandate of Section 811 of the CGAA.

(14) The Coast Guard Should Consider the Impact of the Proposed Rule on 
Existing ASPs and FSPs

    One commenter noted that they use the Coast Guard-approved ASP, 
``Industry Standard for Passenger Vessels and Small Passenger Vessels 
and their Facilities,'' and requested that the proposed rule be amended 
so that there will be no need to amend their ASP to conform to the 
seafarer access rule until the regularly-scheduled renewal period 
occurs.
    Another commenter believed that developing a new access system 
would be time-consuming and impossible to complete by the deadline. 
This commenter suggested that a 10-month submission window for an 
amended FSP would be reasonable, but that the implementation deadline 
should be extended to possibly a year after receipt of the updated 
plan's approval. Two other commenters also said the implementation date 
should be extended. In contrast, another commenter stated that the 
compliance deadline should be moved forward to 6 months (instead of 1 
year) because people should already be complying.
    Each facility operating under a Coast Guard-approved ASP must 
include seafarer access as directed by the ASP itself. This may be in 
the form of an annex or appendix explaining how the facility will 
comply with this rule. This document must be submitted to and approved 
by the cognizant COTP in the location of the facility submitting the 
annex.
    The Coast Guard believes there are various means by which a 
facility may accomplish this mandate depending on the facility design, 
equipment, procedures and location. The Coast Guard has worked with the 
Seamen's Church and with individual facilities to discuss many options 
for complying with this Congressional mandate and has provided 
flexibility within this rule for facility owners and operators to 
comply with its TWIC requirements and the no-cost access requirements 
of this rule.
    However, in light of the comments on timing we have extended the 
date that each facility owner or operator must implement a system to 14 
months after publication of this final rule. This additional time 
allows more time for the COTP to work with each facility in the event 
of deficiencies in the plan.

(15) Coordination Between Seamen's Missions and the Coast Guard

    One commenter questioned whether a partnership between the Coast 
Guard and seamen's missions is possible for port control.
    We agree that coordination is possible, and currently exists at 
several facilities. Information from seamen's missions facilitates port 
control. Since the rule enhances the well-being of seafarers by 
providing no-cost access from the vessel moored at the facility to the 
facility's gate, we are hopeful that the rule will further our 
relationship with seamen's missions.

(16) The Coast Guard Should Publish Guidance That Includes Explanatory 
Language Found in the Preamble of the Proposed Rule

    One commenter was concerned that the explanatory language in the 
NPRM

[[Page 12108]]

will be absent from the actual CFR, perhaps leaving an undesirable 
opening in interpretation of the rule. The commenter stated that 
explicit language is desirable and necessary in implementing the rule. 
Several commenters recommended that the Coast Guard publish a 
Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular to accompany the final rule 
to reflect the basic explanatory language as written in the preamble to 
the proposed rule.
    While we have not included all the explanatory text from the 
preamble in the regulatory text itself, we rely on the broader 
explanation in the preamble to provide the support and basis for the 
regulatory text. The Coast Guard does not believe a NVIC is necessary 
at this time.

(17) The Coast Guard Should Not Invalidate Shore Passes After 29 Days

    One commenter took issue with a regulation that invalidates shore 
passes after 29 days. The commenter stated that this regulation makes 
it difficult for crewmembers who have been at sea for long periods to 
gain access to shore, even if they possess approved U.S. visas. The 
commenter said that crewmembers were recently detained on board a 
vessel for 2 months; they held valid U.S. visas but expired shore 
passes, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in both New 
Orleans and Galveston would not help them gain shore access or return 
them to their home countries.
    The commenter was in favor of the proposed rule in that it will 
assist seafarers transiting between vessels and the terminal gates. The 
comment about the invalidation of shore passes after 29 days, however, 
does not pertain to a Coast Guard regulation, but to a statutory 
requirement imposed by section 252 of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act (8 U.S.C. 1282), which is administered by CBP. The Coast Guard's 
regulation is concerned with providing no-cost access to facility gates 
for seafarers. Customs clearance is beyond the scope of this regulation 
and a change to the validity period of shore passes is beyond our legal 
authority. Therefore, no changes were made to the final rule in 
response to this comment.

(18) Implementing the Rule With Regard to the Use of Taxi Companies, 
Hybrid Access Methods, Brown Water Vessels, Tug and Tows, and 
Integrated Tug Barge (ITB) and Articulated Tug Barge (ATB) Crews

    One commenter who favored the proposed rule had questions regarding 
facility baseline performance evaluations: How will facilities be rated 
on use of taxi companies that meet facility requirements? Will 
``hybrid'' methods of access be acceptable to COTPs? What is the status 
of brown water vessels, tugs and tows, and ITB and ATB crews? The 
commenter was also concerned with taxi company availability, the 
availability of reasonably priced alternatives to taxis, and the 
location near commercial infrastructure and shopping centers.
    This rule requires the COTP to approve the method of seafarer 
access that a facility intends to provide. As such, the COTP will 
examine the methods of access proposed by a facility in light of that 
facility's FSP to determine if they meet the requirements of both this 
rule and the FSP.
    We are unclear as to what the commenter means by ``hybrid'' methods 
of access. If the commenter is referring to the rule's allowance for a 
facility to choose between different methods of seafarer access, all 
such methods will be reviewed by the COTP for approval. We are also 
unclear as to what the commenter means by the ``status of brown water 
vessels, tugs and tows, and ITB and ATB crews.'' If the commenter is 
referring to whether or not such vessels, tugs and tows, and ITB and 
ATB crews are subject to the requirements of this rule, the rule 
applies to covered facilities that may be used by such vessels and 
crew. In short, the rule ensures that facilities do not charge 
seafarers for access to their gates, irrespective of the type of vessel 
and crew docked there.
    Regarding the commenter's concern about taxi availability, 
reasonably priced alternatives to taxis, and the location near 
commercial infrastructure and shopping centers, these are conditions 
that each facility will need to evaluate to determine which modes of 
access make financial sense for that facility while meeting the 
statutory mandate. The rule provides the flexibility to allow facility 
owners and operators to design a system of access that makes sense to 
them. Incorporation of the system of access in the approved FSP allows 
for the necessary oversight by the local COTP.

(19) Timeliness of Seafarer Access to Port Facility Gates

    Many commenters noted that a seafarer's definition of ``timely 
access'' may vary from a facility's definition of ``timely access.''
    We believe that the issue of ``timely access'' is best managed by 
the COTP. Because of the many different types of facilities and FSPs, 
the local COTP is in the best position to evaluate concerns and address 
complaints of facilities providing untimely access.
    One commenter stated that ``timely access'' should be agreed on by 
both the facility operator and the COTP.
    This rule states that facility owners and operators are responsible 
for implementing a system that provides access for seafarers between 
vessels moored at the facility and the facility gate, in a timely 
manner and at no-cost to the seafarer. Every facility is different, 
which makes ``timely access'' impossible to prescribe. Ultimately, the 
COTP will decide whether the proposed timely access is adequate.
    One commenter expressed concern with seafarers having timely access 
to port facility gates, especially for seafarers who are in port for 
short periods of time.
    We agree. This is an important component in ensuring that port 
facilities comply with the mandates of this rule. In Sec.  105.237(c), 
we include factors that a facility, subject to review by the COTP, must 
consider in allowing seafarers no-cost access to the facility's gate, 
in a timely fashion.
    One commenter stated that the length of stay for a vessel is 
irrelevant in determining whether or not a seafarer's access to the 
facility gate is timely.
    We disagree. While facilities have great flexibility under this 
rule in providing timely access between the vessel and the facility 
gate, some parameters are necessary to meet the requirements of Section 
811 of the CGAA. We use length of time in port as a metric for the COTP 
to determine whether or not a wait time to and from the facility gate 
is reasonable.
    One commenter stated that the Coast Guard needs to define 
``reasonable time'' in the regulatory text more specifically. The 
commenter asks if the Government will take into consideration the size 
of the group when it comes to ``reasonable time.''
    A second commenter understands that it is impossible to develop a 
one-size-fits-all definition of ``timely access,'' and that it is 
impractical for facilities to provide for every potential combination 
of factors in their security plans. This commenter requested that the 
Coast Guard clarify how the COTP will determine ``timely access'' on a 
case-by-case basis.
    Another commenter stated that a modest 10-minute delay waiting for 
transportation during half their visits equals more than 3,443 hours of 
lost time. Additionally, the commenter noted that waiting on 
transportation potentially makes a service provider's day dangerously 
long, putting them and others at risk. The commenter offered

[[Page 12109]]

the following additional factors that a facility must consider when 
establishing timely access without unreasonable delay: (1) The expected 
number of ship service personnel who will be visiting a ship; (2) the 
costs of transportation relative to delay time costs incurred by ship 
service providers; and (3) the costs of transportation relative to 
safety impacts to service providers.
    One commenter noted that the proposed rule appropriately explains 
factors to consider and to document in FSPs to provide timely access 
without reasonable delay.
    We appreciate the additional factors supplied by commenters, and 
believe that Sec.  105.237(c) already covers most, if not all, of these 
factors. We provide the COTP with the authority to review these points 
to ensure that the facility is providing timely access to seafarers. 
These factors in Sec.  105.237(c) provide a framework for the COTP to 
decide, on a case-by-case basis, whether or not the facility is 
complying with the mandates of this regulation. Covered individuals may 
contact the local COTP or representatives of seafarers' welfare and 
labor organizations with any facility access concerns.

(20) The Coast Guard Should Reconsider Where It Intends To Place the 
Seafarers' No-Cost Access Requirements in the CFR

    One commenter asked why the new section in 33 CFR part 105 is 
placed between Sec. Sec.  105.235 and 105.240. This commenter suggested 
that the new section be placed in Sec.  105.257, entitled ``Security 
Measures for Newly Hired Employees,'' as Sec.  105.257 does not merit 
its own standalone section and has caused confusion among facilities.
    While we appreciate this commenter's suggestions, we are 
implementing section 811 of the CGAA, and changes to 33 CFR 105.257 are 
outside the scope of this rule. We will consider whether a future 
rulemaking should update, change, or improve regulations at 33 CFR 
105.257.

(21) The Proposed Rule Should Clarify ``Shore Leave'' and ``Access'' To 
Reduce the Risk of Seafarers' Noncompliance With CBP or Union Rules

    One commenter supporting the rule stated that ``shore leave'' and 
``access'' should be clarified to reduce the risk of noncompliance with 
CBP or union rules.
    We believe these terms do not need defining in this rulemaking, as 
the rule specifically defines the kinds of access that is required. In 
addition, this rule is concerned with providing no-cost shore access 
for certain individuals and does not concern shore leave or other terms 
that may raise customs and immigration issues. Irrespective of this 
rule's mandates and requirements, seafarers are still required to 
comply with all CBP rules when arriving in and departing from the 
United States.

V. Regulatory Analyses

    We developed this final rule after considering numerous statutes 
and Executive orders related to rulemaking. Below we summarize our 
analyses based on these statutes or Executive orders.

A. Regulatory Planning and Review

    Executive Orders 12866 (``Regulatory Planning and Review'') and 
13563 (``Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review'') direct agencies 
to assess the costs and benefits of available regulatory alternatives 
and, if regulation is necessary, to select regulatory approaches that 
maximize net benefits (including potential economic, environmental, 
public health and safety effects, distributive impacts, and equity). 
Executive Order 13563 emphasizes the importance of quantifying both 
costs and benefits, of reducing costs, of harmonizing rules, and of 
promoting flexibility. Executive Order 13771 (``Reducing Regulation and 
Controlling Regulatory Costs''), directs agencies to reduce regulation 
and control regulatory costs and provides that ``for every one new 
regulation issued, at least two prior regulations be identified for 
elimination, and that the cost of planned regulations be prudently 
managed and controlled through a budgeting process.''
    The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has not designated this 
rule a significant regulatory action under section 3(f) of Executive 
Order 12866. Accordingly, OMB has not reviewed it. Because this rule is 
not a significant regulatory action, this rule is exempt from the 
requirements of Executive Order 13771. See OMB's Memorandum titled 
``Guidance Implementing Executive Order 13771, titled `Reducing 
Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs''' (April 5, 2017).
    Table 2 shows the impacts of the final rule by category. A final 
Regulatory Assessment is available in the docket, and a summary 
follows.
    We estimate the total cost to industry and the Government to be 
about $53.9 million over a 10-year period of analysis using a 7 percent 
discount rate. We estimate the annualized cost to be about $7.7 million 
using a 7 percent discount rate. See Table 2.

            Table 2--Summary of the Impacts of the Final Rule
------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Category                              Summary
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Applicability.....................  Owners or operators of MTSA
                                     facilities regulated by the Coast
                                     Guard are required to implement a
                                     system that provides seafarers with
                                     access between the shore and
                                     vessels moored at the facility.
Affected population...............  2,469 MTSA-regulated facilities will
                                     update FSPs, an additional 420 MTSA-
                                     regulated facilities will update
                                     FSPs and facility operations.
Total costs to industry and         10-Year: $53.9 million.
 Government (7% discount rate).     Annualized: $7.7 million.
Unquantified benefits.............  Provides seafarers and covered
                                     individuals timely access between a
                                     vessel and a MTSA-regulated-
                                     facility gate.
                                    Enhances the safety, health, and
                                     welfare of seafarers, and the
                                     overall quality of life by allowing
                                     seafarers access to fundamental
                                     human services.
                                    Conforms to the intent of the ISPS
                                     Code and IMO's FAL Convention.
                                    Reduces regulatory uncertainty by
                                     harmonizing the Coast Guard's
                                     regulations with Sec. 811 of Public
                                     Law 111-281.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Affected Population

    The Marine Information for Safety and Law Enforcement (MISLE) 
system is the Coast Guard's internal database that contains MTSA-
regulated facility population data. According to MISLE information 
reviewed in January 2017, there were 2,469 MTSA-regulated facilities in 
2016. This number is consistent with facility population data for the 
previous 5 years as well; the population number remains around

[[Page 12110]]

2,500 +/- 40 facilities. We anticipate that all 2,469 facilities will 
update their FSPs with the system of seafarer access description within 
10 months of publication of the final rule. The total implementation 
time is 14 months, with Coast Guard COTPs having 4 months to approve 
the plans for implementation. Any changes in the following years of 
analysis will be accomplished under existing updates to FSPs; 
therefore, we account for no marginal change in opportunity cost beyond 
the first year of analysis.
    Additionally, some facilities will need to modify existing 
operations to implement a system of seafarer access. In this analysis, 
we refer to this group of facilities as the noncompliant facilities. In 
the NPRM, we estimated the rate of noncompliant facilities at 10.3 
percent (of the 2,469 total facilities). We estimated this rate using 
the SCI's Center for Seafarer's Rights annual survey from the year 
2011. We received five individual public comments out of 163 commenters 
who suggested the non-compliance rate was higher than 10.3 percent; 
however, an alternative compliance rate was not supplied in any of the 
public comments. We used facility information mentioned in public 
comments, specifically SCI's 2016 report, to calculate the new non-
compliance rate of 17 percent (please see the Coast Guard's explanation 
of the use of this rate in the comment response section of this 
preamble), which we based on known noncompliant MTSA-regulated 
facilities divided by the number of MTSA facilities surveyed by SCI 
(35/203). Also, SCI's surveys are more comprehensive than any data on 
seafarer access the Coast Guard can obtain. As noted in the Regulatory 
History section of this preamble, we reopened the public comment period 
for an additional 60 days (80 FR 30189), specifically seeking input on 
our estimate of a 10.3 percent noncompliance rate for facilities with 
respect to providing seafarers' access. We received no new information 
as a result of the reopened comment period.
    For the final rule's regulatory impact analysis, we strictly used 
data from SCI's 2016 survey. With this survey and through discussion 
with the SCI, we calculated a noncompliance rate of 17 percent for the 
final rule. At this rate, 420 (0.17 x 2,469, rounded) out of the total 
2,469 facilities affected by this rule will need to develop and 
implement a system of seafarer access in addition to updating the FSP. 
We also calculated operational costs for these 420 facilities.

Costs

    There are two cost components in this final rule--administrative 
and operational. Prior to the publication of this rule, all MTSA-
regulated facilities described a system of access in the FSP. These 
descriptions, however, may not contain all the necessary details 
required by this final rule. Therefore, we calculated these 
administrative costs for the entire affected population. The total cost 
of this provision includes 6 hours of labor at the executive wage rate, 
10 minutes of labor at the administrative assistant wage rate, plus 10 
cents for stationery:
    2,469 population x [(6 hours \3\ x $67.59 wage rate \4\) + (0.17 
hours x $40.09 wage rate) + $0.10 stationery)] = $1,018,352. The 420 
facilities implementing new seafarer access operations will choose from 
the six compliance options provided in section 105.237(d), as listed 
below:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ In the collection of information (OMB control number 1625-
0077), we estimate that it takes 100 hours to create a new FSP made 
up of 18 sections. We estimate that it would take 6 hours (100 hours 
/ 18 sections = 5.55 hours) to create a new section in the FSP.
    \4\ See Chapter 3.1 of the standalone RA for information 
regarding wages.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (1) Method 1--Regularly scheduled shuttle service;
    (2) Method 2--On-call shuttle service;
    (3) Method 3--Taxi service;
    (4) Method 4--Arrangements with the seafarers' welfare 
organizations;
    (5) Method 5--Monitoring of pedestrian routes; or
    (6) Method 6--Any other system approved by the COTP.
    Any facility implementing a third-party operated system of access, 
such as Method 4, will need to designate a supplemental method of 
access in case the third-party organization is unavailable or fails to 
provide access to seafarers at any time. For the purposes of this 
analysis, we assume such facilities will partner with taxi services to 
provide this supplemental access. We do not include supplemental 
methods of access costs for facilities complying with Method 3, which 
will also provide access via a third party (taxi drivers), because we 
assume (and calculate costs for) a sufficient number of taxis. We also 
do not calculate costs for any facilities complying with this rule 
through Method 6. We assume facilities would choose the sixth option 
only if that option had a lower cost than the first five options.
    Based on information provided by Coast Guard subject matter experts 
(SMEs) in the Office of Port and Facility Compliance and on information 
from Coast Guard inspectors nationwide, we expect that a small 
percentage of facilities are sufficiently large or dangerous enough to 
warrant the purchase of a passenger van used solely to provide a 
regularly scheduled or on-call gate access service to seafarers.\5\ A 
taxi service, alternatively, provides a flexible and relatively cheap 
alternative. Some facilities would choose to partner with a seafarers' 
welfare organization to provide transit, a presumably cost-free option, 
where available, coupled with a taxi service. Based on discussions with 
several SMEs with knowledge of port and facility access, most 
facilities would choose pedestrian monitoring. Due to current MTSA 
regulations most facilities are already equipped with security guards 
and monitoring. If facilities choose this method we anticipate an 
additional 1 hour of training annually to review security protocol in 
the event that a seafarer leaves the designated passageway.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ Our MISLE database does not capture the physical size of 
MTSA-regulated facilities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Table 3 provides the number of affected facilities and the per-
facility costs based on chosen requirement.

                           Table 3--Administrative and Operational Costs per Facility
                                                   [By method]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Annual
                                                                     recurring        Annual       Total 10-year
                                    Population     Initial cost   cost, years 2-     recurring     undiscounted
                                                                      5, 7-10      cost, year 6
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cost Per Facility (FSP                     2,469            $412              $0              $0            $412
 Documentation).................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 12111]]

 
                                          Cost Per Facility Operations
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Method 1: 24-hour Shuttle                     42          99,143          67,583          68,138         707,945
 Service........................
Method 2: On-call Shuttle                     84          76,615          45,055          45,611         482,666
 Service........................
Method 3: Taxi..................              84           5,897           2,848           2,848          31,529
Method 4: Seafarers' Welfare                  42           2,948           1,424           1,424          15,764
 Organization...................
Method 5: Monitoring of                      168             191             191             191           1,910
 Pedestrian Routes..............
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Table 4 provides the key costs for the methods and an explanation 
of changes from the NPRM to the final rule.

                                          Table 4--Key Cost Inputs \6\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Input                  Final rule            NPRM         Reason for change          Source
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTSA facility noncompliance     17%..............  10.3%............  Updated with        http://
 rate.                                                                 information from    seamenschurch.org/
                                                                       2016 SCI report.    sites/default/files/
                                                                                           sci-shore-leave-
                                                                                           survey-2016.pdf.
Security guard wage...........  $20.58...........  $19.41...........  Updated to 2016     http://www.bls.gov/oes/
                                                                       wage rates.         2016/may/
                                                                                           oes339032.htm.
Cargo and freight agents wage.  $30.63...........  $30.81...........  Updated to 2016     http://www.bls.gov/oes/
                                                                       wage rates.         2016/may/
                                                                                           oes435011.htm.
Managers......................  $67.59...........  $63.35...........  Updated to 2016     http://www.bls.gov/oes/
                                                                       wage rates.         2016/may/
                                                                                           oes113071.htm.
Administrative assistants.....  $40.09...........  $35.81...........  Updated to 2016     http://www.bls.gov/oes/
                                                                       wage rates.         2016/may/
                                                                                           oes436011.htm.
Passenger van.................  $28,995 to         $28,995 to         Updated with        http://
                                 $33,800.           $33,800.           current             www.chevrolet.com/
                                                                       information.        express/passenger-
                                                                                           van.
                                                                                          https://www.ford.com/trucks/transit-passenger-van-wagon/.
                                                                                          https://www.gmfleet.com/chevrolet/express-passenger-van.html.
                                                                                          https://www.chrysler.com/pacifica.html#app-compare compare.
                                                                                          http://www.nissancommercialvehicles.com/nv-passenger?dcp=psn.58700002307877422&gclid=CPm5ttfug9QCFYFJgQodlkoMmA&gclsrc=ds&dclid=CPOS89fug9QCFcpkwQodGnoAJw GnoAJw.
Cost of gas...................  $2.25............  $4.04............  Updated with        https://www.eia.gov/
                                                                       current             dnav/pet/
                                                                       information.        PET_PRI_GND_DCUS_NUS_
                                                                                           A.htm.
Average miles per gallon,       13.4.............  13...............  Updated with        http://
 passenger van.                                                        current             www.fueleconomy.gov/
                                                                       information.        feg/byclass/
                                                                                           Vans__Passenger_Type2
                                                                                           016.shtml.
Driving speed.................  10 mph to 30 mph.  15 mph to 30 mph.  Updated with        http://www.panynj.gov/
                                                                       current             port/pdf/highway-
                                                                       information.        speed-limits-
                                                                                           2008.pdf.
                                                                                          http://www.fmtcargo.com/terminal_guides/fmt_guide_burns_harbor.pdf.
                                                                                          http://www.fmtcargo.com/terminal_guides/fmt_guide_cleveland.pdf df.
                                                                                          http://www.fmtcargo.com/terminal_guides/fmt_guide_port_manatee.pdf.
                                                                                          http://www.fmtcargo.com/terminal_guides/fmt_guide_lake_charles.pdf.
                                                                                          http://www.fmtcargo.com/terminal_guides/fmt_guide_milwaukee.pdf df.
Driving time, 1 lap...........  0.33 hours.......  0.33 hours.......  No change.........  ......................

[[Page 12112]]

 
TWIC..........................  $277.82 or         $401.00..........  Updated with        https://www.tsa.gov/
                                 $268.04.                              current             for-industry/twic.
                                                                       information;
                                                                       created two TWIC
                                                                       costs: one for
                                                                       security guards
                                                                       and one for taxi
                                                                       drivers,
                                                                       respectively.
Taxi driver Wage..............  $18.55...........  $17.92...........  Updated to 2016     http://www.bls.gov/oes/
                                                                       wage rates.         2016/may/
                                                                                           oes533041.htm.
Miles to enrollment center....  100 miles........  100 miles........  No change.........  ......................
Average commute speed, mph....  28.87............  28.87............  No change.........  ......................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Table 5 presents the total discounted costs of the final rule to 
industry over a 10-year period of analysis.

                 Table 5--Summary of Costs to Industry 10-year, 7- and 3-Percent Discount Rates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                       Discounted costs
                           Year                               Undiscounted   -----------------------------------
                                                                  costs              7%                3%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.........................................................       $12,269,354       $11,466,686       $11,911,994
2.........................................................         6,954,316         6,074,169         6,555,110
3.........................................................         6,954,316         5,676,793         6,364,184
4.........................................................         6,954,316         5,305,414         6,178,820
5.........................................................         6,954,316         4,958,331         5,998,854
6.........................................................         7,024,326         4,680,605         5,882,762
7.........................................................         6,954,316         4,330,798         5,654,495
8.........................................................         6,954,316         4,047,475         5,489,801
9.........................................................         6,954,316         3,782,687         5,329,904
10........................................................         6,954,316         3,535,222         5,174,664
                                                           -----------------------------------------------------
    Total.................................................        74,928,208        53,858,180        64,540,588
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annualized..................................................................         7,668,193         7,566,126
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: Totals may not sum due to independent rounding.

    The Government will incur costs as a result of modifications made 
to FSPs by MTSA-regulated facilities personnel in Years 1 and 2 because 
the Coast Guard must review and approve the modifications to the FSPs. 
As a result, MTSA-regulated facilities with FSPs will have 10 months to 
submit their plans to the respective Coast Guard sectors for review and 
the sectors will have 4 months to approve the plans for implementation. 
We then divide the one-time government cost between Years 1 and 2 
equally. Based on information from Coast Guard SMEs, we estimated 30 
minutes for an E-4, E-5, or E-6 to review the modified FSP. Using the 
average hourly wage rate of the three ranks, we calculate the one-time 
cost to review all FSPs as follows:

    \6\ We present the mean hourly wage rates as loaded wage rates 
in 2016 dollars using 2016 BLS Benefits multiplier: http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ect/sp/ececqrtn.pdf. For more information on wages, 
see Chapter 3 of the supporting regulatory analysis in the docket.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

2,469 FSPs x $51.33 wage rate/hour \7\ x 0.5 hours = $63,367
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \7\ From the Commandant Instruction 7310.1Q (https://www.uscg.mil/directives/ci/7000-7999/CI_7310_1Q.pdf) for 
reimbursable rates, the hourly rates for E-4s, E-5s, and E-6s are 
$44, $52, and $58, respectively. These rates result in an average 
$51.33 per hour for reviewing the FSPs.

As explained above, we divided the estimated government cost of $63,367 
equally between Years 1 and 2, or $31,683.50 in each year (Table 6 
below takes into account rounding). Table 6 presents the total 
discounted costs to Government and industry over a 10-year period of 
analysis. We estimate an annualized cost of the final rule to industry 
and government to be about $7.7 million using a 7 percent discount 
rate. See table 6.

                     Table 6--Summary of Costs of the Final Rule to Government and Industry
                                        [7 and 3 percent discount rates]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                       Discounted costs
                           Year                               Undiscounted   -----------------------------------
                                                                  costs              7%                3%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.........................................................       $12,301,038       $11,496,297       $11,942,755
2.........................................................         6,986,000         6,101,843         6,584,975
3.........................................................         6,954,316         5,676,793         6,364,184
4.........................................................         6,954,316         5,305,414         6,178,820
5.........................................................         6,954,316         4,958,331         5,998,854
6.........................................................         7,024,326         4,680,605         5,882,762

[[Page 12113]]

 
7.........................................................         6,954,316         4,330,798         5,654,495
8.........................................................         6,954,316         4,047,475         5,489,801
9.........................................................         6,954,316         3,782,687         5,329,904
10........................................................         6,954,316         3,535,222         5,174,664
                                                           -----------------------------------------------------
    Total.................................................        74,991,575        53,915,465        64,601,214
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annualized..................................................................         7,676,349         7,573,233
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: Totals may not sum due to independent rounding.

Benefits

    The primary benefit of this final rule is to provide seafarers and 
covered individuals timely access between a vessel and a MTSA-regulated 
facility gate. Other benefits of this final rule include enhancing the 
safety, health, and welfare of seafarers, which in turn improves the 
overall quality of life for a seafarer. Lastly, the provisions of this 
rule align with international conventions and will reduce regulatory 
uncertainty. Table 7 presents a summary of the benefits of this final 
rule.

             Table 7--Summary of Benefits of the Final Rule
------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Implications                    Description of benefits
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seafarers' Access.................  Provides seafarers and covered
                                     individuals timely access between a
                                     vessel and a MTSA-regulated-
                                     facility gate.
                                    Enhances the safety, health, and
                                     welfare of seafarers, and the
                                     overall quality of life by allowing
                                     seafarers access to fundamental
                                     human services.
International Conventions.........  Conforms to the intent of the ISPS
                                     Code and IMO's FAL Convention.
Regulatory Uncertainty............  Reduces regulatory uncertainty by
                                     harmonizing the Coast Guard's
                                     regulations with Sec. 811 of Public
                                     Law 111-281.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The primary benefit of this final rule is to provide seafarers and 
covered individuals with access between the vessel and the facility 
gate, thereby enhancing their quality of life. Although the Coast Guard 
does not collect data on the number of seafarers denied access to MTSA-
regulated facilities, the SCI's Center for Seafarers' Rights issued a 
report in 2016 and found through a survey that 29 U.S. ports denied 
access through a terminal to about 18.4 percent of seafarers or about 
200 (SCI mentioned about 81.6 percent did not have valid visas) 
seafarers who possibly had valid visas (as we explain in the supporting 
regulatory analysis, SCI presents in its report shore leave for 
mariners without valid visas and other reasons are given in its survey 
for the denial of shore leave; nevertheless, it is reasonable to assume 
that the remaining percentage of denials in the report contains some 
number of mariners with valid visas who were denied shore leave).
    SCI recently issued reports in 2017 and 2018; the information in 
these reports is similar with the 2016 report with 22 and 23 ports 
surveyed, respectively. However, these reports, as with the 2015 and 
2016 reports, did not specify which facilities were MTSA-regulated or 
not, so we assumed the reports included facilities other than the MTSA-
regulated facilities to which the final rule applies (the difference 
is, with the 2016 report, we were able to identify, at the time of this 
writing, which facilities were MTSA-regulated through correspondence 
with SCI in 2016).
    As stated above, the 2016 report cites other reasons for access 
denial, such as CBP restrictions and vessel operations, which account 
for about 4 percent of denials; again, this also includes facilities 
that are not MTSA-regulated. This is important because access denials 
to seafarers without valid visas would not be counted as part of the 
noncompliance rate and are not part of the affected population. Only 
mariners with valid visas who were denied port access to MTSA-regulated 
facilities are the affected population of this final rule. Non MTSA-
regulated facilities who denied port access to seafarers are not part 
of the applicable population of this final rule. Table ES-4 of the 
Final Regulatory Analysis and for this final rule lists the website 
where a copy of the 2016 SCI report may be viewed. Combined in one 
document, the Final Regulatory Analysis and the Final Regulatory 
Flexibility Analysis are available in the docket for review.
    Generally, transiting through a MTSA-regulated facility is the only 
way for seafarers to access shore side businesses and amenities, and to 
engage in activities such as doctor visits (which includes obtaining 
prescriptions for medications), business visits, and family member and 
friend visits, among other things such as enjoying basic leisure time, 
that go beyond the confines of a vessel. This, in turn, will enhance 
seafarers' overall quality of life by allowing access to fundamental 
human services instead of being bound to a vessel while moored at a 
MTSA-regulated facility. This final rule provides seafarers and covered 
individuals access through MTSA-regulated facilities, and enhances the 
safety, health, and welfare of seafarers. This final rule also mandates 
that the system of access provide access for representatives of 
seafarers' welfare and labor organizations. Individuals and 
organizations, who generally can only access vessels moored at a MTSA-
regulated facilities by transiting through the facility, will be able 
to provide services for seafarers on board a vessel. For example, this 
includes labor organizations, port workers organizations, and port 
engineers or superintendents. This also will enhance

[[Page 12114]]

the welfare and overall quality of life for a seafarer, who otherwise 
would not have access to shore side facilities while a vessel is moored 
at an MTSA-regulated facility.
    Another benefit of this final rule is that it will conform to 
international conventions, which in turn benefits seafarers. The 
provisions of this final rule will align with the intent of the 
International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS), an amendment 
to the International Convention on the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) 
(1974, 1988), Chapter XI-2 (Special Measures to Enhance Maritime 
Security), as entered into force under that chapter. An IMO resolution 
adopted the ISPS Code in December 2002 and another resolution included 
amendments to Chapter XI of SOLAS and added a new chapter, which is 
Chapter XI-2. IMO added amendments in 2016, which became effective 
January 1, 2018, to the Convention on Facilitation of International 
Maritime Traffic, 1965 as amended (FAL), which added a new provision to 
strengthen shore leave for seafarers, in Section 3 of the Annex, part 
G.
    We believe this is a benefit to seafarers because if the U.S. does 
not adhere to these international conventions and denies shore leave to 
these individuals, other countries may engage in an act of reciprocity 
and deny shore leave to U.S. seafarers abroad. The preamble to ISPS 
(paragraph 11), ratified in December 2002, states: ``Recognizing that 
the Convention on the Facilitation of Maritime Traffic, 1965, as 
amended, provides that foreign crew members shall be allowed ashore by 
the public authorities while the ship on which they arrive is in port, 
provided that the formalities on arrival of the ship have been 
fulfilled and the public authorities have no reason to refuse 
permission to come ashore for reasons of public health, public safety 
or public order, Contracting Governments when approving ship and port 
FSPs should pay due cognizance to the fact that ship's personnel live 
and work on the vessel and need shore leave and access to shore based 
seafarer welfare facilities, including medical care.''
    This rule will also reduce regulatory uncertainty by harmonizing 
regulations with Sec. 811 of Public Law 111-281. The benefit to 
seafarers is that they will be knowledgeable of the regulations as they 
relate to international conventions thereby reducing confusion and 
uncertainty among the population.

Alternatives

    Below, we summarize our chosen compliance option and four discussed 
alternatives. Refer to Chapter 5 of the standalone RA, available in the 
docket where indicated under the ADDRESSES portion of this preamble, 
for more cost and descriptive information on the alternatives analyzed.
     Preferred Alternative
    The preferred alternative is to amend Coast Guard regulations to 
require that MTSA-regulated facilities implement a system of seafarers' 
access and amend their FSPs to document this system. This alternative 
was chosen for this final rule because it provides regulatory 
flexibility and the least costly options that would comply with the 
intent of the statute.
     Other Alternatives Considered
    Alternative 1--No change to regulations. Instead of amending the 
current regulations, COTPs would deny approval of FSPs that do not 
adequately address shore leave procedures. While this approach may 
address some deficiencies at some facilities, we reject this 
alternative because it would not provide clear and consistent 
regulatory standards for facilities to implement and COTPs to enforce. 
Additionally, the current regulation in 33 CFR 105.200(b)(9) does not 
explicitly require facility owners and operators to provide free and 
timely access to seafarers. Alternative 1 does not meet the mandate set 
in the CGAA, nor would it address the existing access issues. The 
benefit of Alternative 1 is that there would be zero incremental cost.
    Alternative 2--Require a section of the DoS between the facility 
and the vessel to include the facility's seafarers' access procedures. 
We reject this alternative due to the heavy burden it would place on 
industry. We do not support this alternative because it would not 
specifically target noncompliant facilities, but, instead, would 
require many facilities and vessels that would not need a DoS to have 
one, increasing the collection of information burden. The benefits of 
this alternative are the same as the preferred alternative--the 
facility would be required to work out a free and timely access plan 
with each arriving vessel and include this plan in the vessel's DoS.
    Alternative 3--Require facilities to implement specific and 
prescriptive procedures for seafarers' access and to include these 
procedures in their FSPs. This alternative would require facilities to 
implement a prescribed space, infrastructure, or other specific 
resource as a system of seafarers' access. We reject this alternative 
because it would impose a stricter than necessary operational change on 
many facilities. For example, this alternative could mandate that all 
facilities provide 24-hour shuttle service to seafarers. This would 
increase the total cost burden to industry, and many facilities do not 
require shuttle service for timely gate access. The benefits of this 
alternative are the same as the preferred alternative.
    Alternative 4--Publish guidance to industry clarifying that 33 CFR 
105.200(b)(9) affirmatively requires facility owners/operators to 
provide shore leave and visitor access. We do not support this 
approach. Current regulations in 33 CFR 105.200(b)(9) do not require 
facility owners and operators to provide free and timely access to 
seafarers. Some facilities deny seafarers access altogether or make 
shore access impractical based on misinterpretations of our existing 
regulations (i.e., they contend that, since 33 CFR 105.200(b)(9) only 
requires coordination of shore leave if there is actual shore leave to 
coordinate, if access to shore is denied altogether, there is no shore 
leave to coordinate). Further, public comments indicate that, while 
some facilities grant seafarers access to and from vessels, they make 
it impractical by placing extreme limitations on escort availability or 
charging exorbitant fees. Section 811 of the CGAA makes access 
mandatory, necessitating an update to our regulations to avoid 
regulatory uncertainty.

B. Small Entities

    Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601-612, we have 
considered whether this rule would have a significant economic impact 
on a substantial number of small entities. The term ``small entities'' 
comprises small businesses, not-for-profit organizations that are 
independently owned and operated and are not dominant in their fields, 
and governmental jurisdictions with populations of less than 50,000. 
Based on our analysis, we have no information or evidence to determine, 
which, or how many MTSA-regulated facilities will need to implement a 
system of access. Our estimated costs to small entities vary greatly 
depending upon whether a facility will only need to modify its FSP or 
whether it will have to modify its operations. We detail this analysis 
below:
    A Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (FRFA) discussing the 
impact of this final rule on small entities is available in the docket 
where indicated under the ADDRESSES portion of the preamble. A summary 
of the FRFA follows.
    (1) A statement of the need for, and objectives of, the rule:

[[Page 12115]]

    Agencies take regulatory action to correct for market failure. This 
final rule will ensure that MTSA-regulated facilities do not deny 
access or make it impractical for seafarers to obtain shore access. The 
rationale given by some facilities for denying such access is based on 
a misinterpretation of existing Coast Guard regulations; namely, that 
33 CFR 105.200(b)(9) only requires coordination of shore leave if there 
is actual shore leave to coordinate, and, if access to shore is denied 
altogether, there is no shore leave to coordinate. Some facilities 
provide shore access, but make it impractical for seafarers and other 
individuals by placing extreme limitations on escort availability or 
charging exorbitant fees. Furthermore, possible costs to implement a 
system of access should not be borne by those who need access, thereby 
providing a disincentive for the facilities to provide such access.
    (2) A statement of the significant issues raised by the public 
comments in response to the initial regulatory flexibility analysis, a 
statement of the assessment of the agency of such issues, and a 
statement of any changes made in the final rule as a result of such 
comments:
    We received five public comments regarding the estimated per-
company cost of implementing this rule. The commenters argued that the 
$1,121 cost was too low. The Coast Guard addressed this comment in Part 
IV of this preamble.
    (3) The response of the agency to any comments filed by the Chief 
Counsel for Advocacy of SBA in response to the proposed rule, and a 
detailed statement of any change made to the proposed rule in the final 
rule as a result of the comments:
    The Coast Guard did not receive any comments from the SBA Office of 
Advocacy regarding the impact that this rule would have on small 
entities.
    (4) A description and estimate of the number of small entities to 
which the rule will apply or an explanation of why no such estimate is 
available:
    This rule would affect primarily MTSA-regulated facilities, which 
would need to provide seafarers' access if they do not currently 
provide this service to seafarers. Based on MISLE data, we estimate 
that there are 1,347 owners or operators of 2,469 facilities. Of these 
1,347 entities, we estimate that 69 percent of them are small 
businesses, as determined by the size standards (or threshold) of the 
SBA.\8\ We determined this percentage by researching and compiling the 
employee size and revenue data for a random sample of 300 entities, of 
which 145 (included in this number are 8 governmental jurisdictions 
that we found to be small based on the RFA's definition) were found to 
be below the threshold for small entities, and 63 were assumed to be 
below the threshold due to lack of available information. In total, 
there are 208 (145 + 63) small entities for the purposes of this 
analysis).\9\ To estimate the sizes of these entities, we used the 
revenue or employee size of these entities from referenceusagov.com and 
www.Manta.com for businesses and the most current population 
information from the U.S. Census Bureau's website for government 
jurisdictions. Based on the information from this analysis, we found 
that--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \8\ As indicated by either their revenue or personnel data for 
businesses.
    \9\ The sample size of 300 entities provides a confidence level 
at 95 percent and a confidence interval of 5.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     There are an estimated 1,347 entities that would be 
affected by the final rule;
     The sample size consists of 300 entities;
     There were 10 government entities above the threshold for 
being small, and 8 below the threshold, we found revenue information on 
all 8 governmental jurisdictions by reviewing their respective annual 
reports online and U.S. Census Bureau data for one of them;
     There were no nonprofit entities found in the data;
     There were 92 businesses considered above the threshold 
for being small, and 145 below the threshold; and
     Size information was not found for the remaining 63 
entities, so they were considered small.
    The SBA provides business size standards for all sectors, defined 
as the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). We use 
these codes to assess the effect that this final rule will have on 
these sectors. Table 8 provides a list of the most prevalent NAICS 
codes and their description and size standards.

             Table 8--Breakdown of Industries by NAICS Codes
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                           SBA size         SBA size
     NAICS              Industry           threshold      standard type
------------------------------------------------------------------------
324110.........  Petroleum Refineries.           1,500  Employees.
488320.........  Marine Cargo Handling           $38.5  Revenue in
                                                         millions.
221122.........  Electric Power                  1,000  Employees.
                  Distribution.
424720.........  Petroleum and                     200  Employees.
                  Petroleum Products
                  Merchant Wholesalers
                  (except Bulk
                  Stations and
                  Terminals).
325998.........  All Other                         500  Employees.
                  Miscellaneous
                  Chemical Product and
                  Preparation
                  Manufacturing.
483212.........  Inland Water                      500  Employees.
                  Passenger
                  Transportation.
336611.........  Ship Building and               1,250  Employees.
                  Repairing.
423990.........  Other Miscellaneous               100  Employees.
                  Durable Goods
                  Merchant Wholesalers.
424690.........  Other Chemical and                150  Employees.
                  Allied Products
                  Merchant Wholesalers.
561510.........  Travel Agencies......           $20.5  Revenue in
                                                         millions.
713930.........  Marinas..............            $7.5  Revenue in
                                                         millions.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Revenue Impact on Entities

    To estimate how this final rule would affect entities that fall 
under the SBA and U.S. Census Bureau for small entities, we calculated 
the per-facility cost based on each method of access. Facilities that 
only need to modify their FSP would only be affected by the one-time 
FSP cost. Those that need to modify operations would be affected by the 
FSP cost and the weighted average of the transportation costs. Table 9 
provides the range in per-facility costs.

[[Page 12116]]



                              Table 9--Per Facility Cost by Mode of Transportation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                      Annual          Annual
                                                                                     recurring       recurring
                        Cost description                           Initial cost   cost, years 2-   cost, year 6
                                                                                      5, 7-10          \10\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cost Per Facility (FSP Documentation)...........................            $412              $0              $0
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          Cost Per Facility, Operations
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Method 1: Regularly scheduled escort............................          99,143          67,583          68,138
Method 2: On-call escort........................................          76,615          45,055          45,611
Method 3: Taxi..................................................           5,897           2,848           2,848
Method 4: Seafarers' welfare organizations with supplemental               2,948           1,424           1,424
 taxis..........................................................
Method 5: Visual/equipment monitoring...........................             191             191             191
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    For facilities that will only need to document a system of access 
in the FSP, we estimate that this final rule will not have a 
significant impact on a substantial number of small entities; i.e., the 
cost to modify the FSP, $412, is less than 1 percent of annual revenue 
for all sampled small entities that were reviewed. For facilities that 
have to modify operations and document the new system of access in 
their FSPs, this final rule may have a significant impact on a 
substantial number of small entities. Because we have no way to 
determine which facilities (and, therefore, which entities) will need 
to implement a system of access, we performed two analyses.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \10\ Year 6 has a slightly higher average cost because those 
complying with Method 1 and Method 2 will need to renew TWIC cards 
for security guards.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We have revenue information for 145 of the estimated 208 small 
entities including 8 small governmental jurisdictions (these revenue 
data include taxes and other revenues as reported in the jurisdictions' 
annual reports, which is publicly available information, in addition to 
data from the U.S. Census Bureau for one of them).
    Three NAICS codes represent these 8 governmental jurisdictions with 
two governmental jurisdictions having a NAICS code of 921110 (Executive 
Offices), three of them having a NAICS code of 921120 (Legislative 
Bodies), and the remaining three having a NAICS code of 926120 
(Regulation and Administration of Transportation Programs).
    Using this revenue information, we determined that the cost of both 
modifying operations and documenting the new system of access in the 
FSP is: (1) Less than 1 percent of annual revenue for 66 percent of 
affected facilities; (2) between 1 and 3 percent of annual revenue for 
14 percent of facilities; (3) between 3 and 5 percent of annual revenue 
for 5 percent of facilities; and (4) greater than 5 percent of annual 
revenue for 15 percent of facilities. Seven of the 8 governmental 
jurisdictions fell into the less than 1 percent impact category and the 
eighth jurisdiction fell into the greater than 5 percent impact 
category. Table 10 displays this data, as well as the impacts of annual 
recurring costs.

                   Table 10--Estimated Revenue Impact of the Final Rule, Weighted Average Cost
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                      Annual
                                                                      Initial        recurring        Annual
                         Revenue impact                           implementation  costs, years 2-    recurring
                                                                       cost           5, 7-10      costs, year 6
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                  FSP Only Cost
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cost to Modify FSP..............................................            $412              $0              $0
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0% < Impact <= 1%...............................................            100%  ..............  ..............
                                         FSP Plus Access Implementation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Per facility cost (weighted average)............................         $27,200         $16,558         $16,724
0% < Impact <= 1%...............................................             66%             73%              73
1% < Impact <= 3%...............................................             14%             11%              11
3% < Impact <= 5%...............................................              5%              6%               6
5% < Impact <= 10%..............................................             10%              7%               7
Above 10%.......................................................              5%              3%               3
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Additionally, we calculated the estimated revenue impacts of this 
final rule based on the average annual cost per compliance method over 
the 10-year period of analysis. Table 11 displays the results of this 
analysis. The average annual costs of Methods 3, 4, and 5 are less than 
1 percent of annual revenue for 100 percent of the identified small 
businesses. Method 1 has the highest average annual cost per facility. 
This cost is less than 1 percent of annual revenue for about 50 percent 
of the identified small entities, and above 10 percent of annual 
revenue for 18 percent of the identified small entities.

[[Page 12117]]



                Table 11--Estimated Revenue Impact of Final Rule, Average Annual Cost per Method
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Compliance method            Method 1        Method 2        Method 3        Method 4        Method 5
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weighted Average Annual Cost....         $70,795         $48,267          $3,153          $1,576            $191
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          Cost Per Facility, Operations
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0% < Impact <= 1%...............             50%             54%            100%            100%            100%
1% < Impact <= 3%...............             19%             17%              0%              0%               0
3% < Impact <= 5%...............              9%              6%              0%              0%               0
5% < Impact <= 10%..............              5%              7%              0%              0%               0
Above 10%.......................             18%             13%              0%              0%               0
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (5) A description of the projected reporting, recordkeeping, and 
other compliance requirements of the rule, including an estimate of the 
classes of small entities which will be subject to the requirement and 
the type of professional skills necessary for preparation of the report 
or record:
    This final rule adds information to an existing collection of 
information. We anticipate that all MTSA-regulated facilities will need 
to add additional security information to their FSPs, for a total cost 
of $412 per facility. These FSPs will be updated by the Facility 
Security Officer (FSO). The FSO will need to know the security protocol 
regarding each facility and describe the information required in this 
rule in order to comply with the recordkeeping requirement of this 
rule. We anticipate that this recordkeeping requirement will not have a 
significant impact on any small entities, i.e., the $412 recordkeeping 
cost is less than 1 percent of revenue for all sampled small entities.
    (6) A description of the steps the agency has taken to minimize the 
significant economic impact on small entities consistent with the 
stated objectives of applicable statues, including a statement of the 
factual, policy, and legal reasons for selecting the alternative 
adopted in the final rule and why each one of the other significant 
alternatives to the rule considered by the agency which affect the 
impact on small entities was rejected:
    We considered other alternatives in this final rule. Those 
alternatives include no regulatory changes, requiring changes to the 
DoS rather than to the FSP, and outlining more prescriptive measures. 
We rejected each alternative, because making no regulatory changes 
would not fulfill our mandate, changing the DoS would not specifically 
target noncompliant facilities, and making more prescriptive measures 
would not provide as much regulatory flexibility.
    In addition, public comments suggested that requiring escorting for 
a list of individuals would pose security problems and become too 
costly to implement. This rule narrows the list of acceptable 
individuals to seafarers, pilots, and welfare organizations, reducing 
the scope of individuals who will be allowed to be escorted through the 
facility to those people and groups specifically required by the Act.
    The Coast Guard will not retaliate against small entities that 
question or complain about this rule or any policy or action of the 
Coast Guard.

C. Assistance for Small Entities

    Under section 213(a) of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement 
Fairness Act of 1996, Public Law 104-121, we offer to assist small 
entities in understanding this rule so that they can better evaluate 
its effects on them and participate in the rulemaking. The Coast Guard 
will not retaliate against small entities that question or complain 
about this rule or any policy or action of the Coast Guard.
    Small businesses may send comments on the actions of Federal 
employees who enforce, or otherwise determine compliance with, Federal 
regulations to the Small Business and Agriculture Regulatory 
Enforcement Ombudsman and the Regional Small Business Regulatory 
Fairness Boards. The Ombudsman evaluates these actions annually and 
rates each agency's responsiveness to small business. If you wish to 
comment on actions by employees of the Coast Guard, call 1-888-REG-FAIR 
(1-888-734-3247).

D. Collection of Information

    This rule calls for a collection of information under the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520. As defined in 5 CFR 
1320.3(c), ``collection of information'' comprises reporting, 
recordkeeping, monitoring, posting, labeling, and other, similar 
actions. The title and description of the information collection, a 
description of those who must collect the information, and an estimate 
of the total annual burden follow. The estimate covers the time for 
reviewing instructions, searching existing sources of data, gathering 
and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the 
collection. Under the provisions of this final rule, the affected 
facilities and vessels are required to update their FSPs to include 
provisions for seafarers' access. This requirement would amend an 
existing collection of information by increasing the number of 
instances requiring information to be collected under OMB control 
number 1625-0077.
    Title: Security Plans for Ports, Vessels, Facilities, and Outer 
Continental Shelf Facilities and other Security-Related Requirements.
    OMB Control Number: 1625-0077.
    Summary of the Collection of Information: This final rule modifies 
an existing collection of information for facility owners and operators 
of MTSA-regulated facilities. MTSA-regulated facilities are required to 
include a description of a system for seafarer access in their FSPs. 
This rule requires a one-time change in previously approved OMB 
Collection 1625-0077.
    Final Use of Information: The Coast Guard will use this information 
to determine whether a facility is providing adequate seafarer access 
and complying with the provisions of the final rule.
    Description of the Respondents: The respondents are owners of MTSA-
regulated facilities regulated by the Coast Guard under 33 CFR chapter 
I, subchapter H.
    Number of Respondents: We estimate that 2,469 MTSA-regulated 
facilities with FSPs will be required to modify their existing FSP.
    Frequency of Response: There will be a one-time response for all 
2,469 respondents. The FSP would need to be updated within 10 months of 
the publication of the final rule.
    Burden of Response: The burden resulting from this final rule is 6 
hours per respondent in the initial year.
    Estimate of Total Annual Burden: The estimated implementation 
period burden for facilities is 6 hours per FSP amendment. Since there 
are 2,469 MTSA facilities that are required to

[[Page 12118]]

modify their existing FSP, with the inclusion of administrative time of 
about 420 hours, the total burden is 15,234 hours [(2,469 facilities x 
6 hours) + (2,469 facilities x 0.17 administrative hours)]. The current 
burden listed in this collection of information is 1,108,043. The new 
burden, as a result of this final rulemaking, is 1,123,277 (1,108,043 + 
15,234).
    As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3507(d)), we have submitted a copy of this final rule to OMB for its 
review of the collection of information. You are not required to 
respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently 
valid control number from OMB. Before the requirements for this 
collection of information become effective, we will publish a notice in 
the Federal Register of OMB's decision to approve, modify, or 
disapprove the final collection.

E. Federalism

    A rule has implications for federalism under Executive Order 13132 
(``Federalism'') if it has a substantial direct effect on the States, 
on the relationship between the national government and the States, or 
on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the various 
levels of government. We have analyzed this rule under Executive Order 
13132 and have determined that it is consistent with the fundamental 
federalism principles and preemption requirements described in 
Executive Order 13132. Our analysis follows.
    This rule would update existing regulations in 33 CFR part 105 by 
requiring each owner or operator of a facility regulated by the Coast 
Guard to implement a system that provides seafarers and other covered 
individuals with access through the facility at no cost to the 
seafarer. Additionally, this rule requires facilities to amend facility 
security plans in order to ensure compliance.
    It is well-settled that States may not regulate in categories 
reserved for regulation by the Coast Guard. (See the decision of the 
Supreme Court in the consolidated cases of United States v. Locke and 
Intertanko v. Locke, 529 U.S. 89, 120 S.Ct. 1135 (2000)). The Coast 
Guard believes the federalism principles articulated in Locke apply to 
the regulations promulgated under the authority of the Maritime 
Transportation Security Act. States and local governments are 
foreclosed from regulating within the fields covered by regulations 
found in 33 CFR parts 101, 103, 104, and 106. However, with regard to 
regulations found in 33 CFR part 105, State maritime facility 
regulations are not preempted so long as these State laws or 
regulations are more stringent than what is required by 33 CFR part 105 
and no actual conflict or frustration of an overriding need for 
national uniformity exists. Therefore, the rule is consistent with the 
principles of federalism and preemption requirements in Executive Order 
13132.

F. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act

    The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995, 2 U.S.C. 1531-1538, 
requires Federal agencies to assess the effects of their discretionary 
regulatory actions. In particular, the Act addresses actions that may 
result in the expenditure by a State, local, or tribal government, in 
the aggregate, or by the private sector of $100,000,000 (adjusted for 
inflation) or more in any one year. Although this rule will not result 
in such an expenditure, we do discuss the effects of this rule 
elsewhere in this preamble.

G. Taking of Private Property

    This rule will not cause a taking of private property or otherwise 
have taking implications under Executive Order 12630 (``Governmental 
Actions and Interference with Constitutionally Protected Property 
Rights'').

H. Civil Justice Reform

    This rule meets applicable standards in sections 3(a) and 3(b)(2) 
of Executive Order 12988 (``Civil Justice Reform''), to minimize 
litigation, eliminate ambiguity, and reduce burden.

I. Protection of Children

    We have analyzed this rule under Executive Order 13045 
(``Protection of Children from Environmental Health Risks and Safety 
Risks''). This rule is not an economically significant rule and would 
not create an environmental risk to health or risk to safety that might 
disproportionately affect children.

J. Indian Tribal Governments

    This rule does not have tribal implications under Executive Order 
13175 (``Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal 
Governments''), because it would not have a substantial direct effect 
on one or more Indian tribes, on the relationship between the Federal 
Government and Indian tribes, or on the distribution of power and 
responsibilities between the Federal Government and Indian tribes.

K. Energy Effects

    We have analyzed this rule under Executive Order 13211 (``Actions 
Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, 
Distribution, or Use''). We have determined that it is not a 
``significant energy action'' under that order because it is not a 
``significant regulatory action'' under Executive Order 12866 and is 
not likely to have a significant adverse effect on the supply, 
distribution, or use of energy.

L. Technical Standards

    The National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act, codified as a 
note to 15 U.S.C. 272, directs agencies to use voluntary consensus 
standards in their regulatory activities unless the agency provides 
Congress, through OMB, with an explanation of why using these standards 
would be inconsistent with applicable law or otherwise impractical. 
Voluntary consensus standards are technical standards (e.g., 
specifications of materials, performance, design, or operation; test 
methods; sampling procedures; and related management systems practices) 
that are developed or adopted by voluntary consensus standards bodies. 
This rule does not use technical standards. Therefore, we did not 
consider the use of voluntary consensus standards.

M. Environment

    We have analyzed this rule under Department of Homeland Security 
Management Directive 023-01 and Commandant Instruction M16475.lD, which 
guide the Coast Guard in complying with the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321-4370f), and have concluded that this 
action is one of a category of actions that do not individually or 
cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment. A 
final Record of Environmental Consideration (REC) supporting this 
determination is available in the docket where indicated in the 
ADDRESSES section of this preamble. This final rule involves providing 
access for seafarers to maritime facilities. Therefore, this rule is 
categorically excluded under paragraph L54 and paragraph L56 of 
Appendix A, Table 1 of DHS Instruction Manual 023-01-001-01, Rev. 01. 
Paragraph L54 pertains to regulations which are editorial or 
procedural. Paragraph L56 pertains to regulations concerning the 
training, qualifying, licensing, and disciplining of maritime 
personnel.

List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 105

    Maritime security, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, 
Security measures.

    For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Coast Guard amends 
33 CFR part 105 as follows:

[[Page 12119]]

33 CFR--Navigation and Navigable Waters

PART 105--MARITIME SECURITY: FACILITIES

0
1. The authority citation for part 105 is revised to read as follows:

    Authority:  33 U.S.C. 1226, 1231; 46 U.S.C. 70103; 50 U.S.C. 
191; Sec. 811, Pub. L. 111-281, 124 Stat. 2905; 33 CFR 1.05-1, 6.04-
11, 6.14, 6.16, and 6.19; Department of Homeland Security Delegation 
No. 0170.1.


Sec.  105.200   [Amended]

0
2. Amend Sec.  105.200 as follows:
0
a. In paragraph (b)(1), remove the words ``security organizational 
structure'' and add in their place the words ``organizational structure 
of the security personnel'' and remove the words ``within that 
structure'';
0
b. In paragraph (b)(4), remove the text ``an FSP'' and add in its place 
the text ``a Facility Security Plan (FSP)'';
0
c. In paragraph (b)(6) introductory text, remove the acronym ``TWIC'' 
and add in its place the words ``Transportation Worker Identification 
Credential (TWIC)'';
0
d. In paragraph (b)(6)(i), after the words ``FSP are permitted to'' add 
the words ``serve as an'';
0
e. In paragraph (b)(6)(ii), remove the word ``should'' and add in its 
place the words ``in the event that'';
0
f. In paragraph (b)(6)(iii), remove the word ``what'', and add in its 
place the word ``which'' and after the words ``are secure areas and'' 
add the words ``which are'';
0
g. In paragraph (b)(9), remove the text ``coordination of'' and add in 
its place the text ``implementation of a system, in accordance with 
Sec.  105.237, coordinating'' and remove the text ``(including 
representatives of seafarers' welfare and labor organizations)'' and 
add in its place the text ``, as described in Sec.  105.237(b)(3)''; 
and
0
h. In paragraph (b)(14), remove the text ``TSA'' and add in its place 
the text ``Transportation Security Administration (TSA)''.

0
3. Add Sec.  105.237 to read as follows:


Sec.  105.237   System for seafarers' access.

    (a) Access required. Each facility owner or operator must implement 
a system by June 1, 2020 for providing access through the facility that 
enables individuals to transit to and from a vessel moored at the 
facility and the facility gate in accordance with the requirements in 
this section. The system must provide timely access as described in 
paragraph (c) of this section and incorporate the access methods 
described in paragraph (d) of this section at no cost to the 
individuals covered. The system must comply with the Transportation 
Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) provisions in this part.
    (b) Individuals covered. The individuals to whom the facility owner 
or operator must provide the access described in this section include--
    (1) Seafarers assigned to a vessel at that facility;
    (2) Pilots; and
    (3) Representatives of seafarers' welfare and labor organizations.
    (c) Timely access. The facility owner or operator must provide the 
access described in this section without unreasonable delay, subject to 
review by the Captain of the Port (COTP). The facility owner or 
operator must consider the following when establishing timely access 
without unreasonable delay:
    (1) Length of time the vessel is in port.
    (2) Distance of egress/ingress between the vessel and facility 
gate.
    (3) The vessel watch schedules.
    (4) The facility's safety and security procedures as required by 
law.
    (5) Any other factors specific to the vessel or facility that could 
affect access to and from the vessel.
    (d) Access methods. The facility owner or operator must ensure that 
the access described in this section is provided through one or more of 
the following methods:
    (1) Regularly scheduled escort between the vessel and the facility 
gate that conforms to the vessel's watch schedule as agreed upon 
between the vessel and facility.
    (2) An on-call escort between the vessel and the facility gate.
    (3) Arrangements with taxi services or other transportation 
services, ensuring that any costs for providing the access described in 
this section, above the service's standard fees charged to any 
customer, are not charged to the individual to whom such access is 
provided. If a facility provides arrangements with taxi services or 
other transportation services as the only method for providing the 
access described in this section, the facility is responsible to pay 
any fees for transit within the facility.
    (4) Arrangements with seafarers' welfare organizations to 
facilitate the access described in this section.
    (5) Monitored pedestrian access routes between the vessel and 
facility gate.
    (6) A method, other than those in paragraphs (d)(1) through (5) of 
this section, approved by the COTP.
    (7) If an access method relies on a third party, a back-up access 
method that will be used if the third party is unable to or does not 
provide the required access in any instance. An owner or operator must 
ensure that the access required in paragraph (a) of this section is 
actually provided in all instances.
    (e) No cost to individuals. The facility owner or operator must 
provide the access described in this section at no cost to the 
individual to whom such access is provided.
    (f) Described in the Facility Security Plan (FSP). On or before 
February 3, 2020, the facility owner or operator must document the 
facility's system for providing the access described in this section in 
the approved FSP in accordance with Sec.  105.410 or Sec.  105.415. The 
description of the facility's system must include--
    (1) Location of transit area(s) used for providing the access 
described in this section;
    (2) Duties and number of facility personnel assigned to each duty 
associated with providing the access described in this section;
    (3) Methods of escorting and/or monitoring individuals transiting 
through the facility;
    (4) Agreements or arrangements between the facility and private 
parties, nonprofit organizations, or other parties, to facilitate the 
access described in this section; and
    (5) Maximum length of time an individual would wait for the access 
described in this section, based on the provided access method(s).

0
4. Amend Sec.  105.405 as follows:
0
a. In paragraph (a)(18), remove the text ``part 105; and,'' and add in 
its place ``this part;'';
0
b. In paragraph (a)(21), remove the period at the end of the paragraph 
and add in its place ``; and''; and
0
c. Add paragraph (a)(22).
    The addition reads as follows:


Sec.  105.405   Format and content of the Facility Security Plan (FSP).

    (a) * * *
    (22) System for seafarers' access.
* * * * *

    Dated: March 27, 2019.
Jennifer F. Williams,
Captain, U. S. Coast Guard, Director of Inspections and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2019-06272 Filed 3-29-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-04-P