[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 105 (Friday, May 31, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25274-25275]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-11386]


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FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION


Agency Information Collection Activities: 60-Day Public Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Federal Maritime Commission.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Maritime Commission (Commission), will be 
submitting an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The ICR is for reinstatement with 
change of a previously approved information collection, which expired 
on March 31, 2019. Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, the Commission 
invites comments on the information collection reinstatement listed 
below in this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before July 30, 2019.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments by the following methods. Please 
reference the information collection's title and OMB number in your 
comments.
     Email: [email protected]. Comments should be attached to the 
email as a Microsoft Word or text-searchable PDF document. Only non-
confidential and public versions of confidential comments should be 
submitted by email.
     Mail: Karen V. Gregory, Managing Director, Office of the 
Managing Director, Federal Maritime Commission, 800 North Capitol 
Street NW, Washington, DC 20573.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Copies of the information collection 
and instructions, or copies of any comments received, may be obtained 
by contacting Donna Lee at (202) 523-5800 or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Request for Comments

    The Commission, as part of its continuing effort to reduce 
paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment on the information collection reinstatement 
listed in this notice, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be included or 
summarized in our request for Office of Management and Budget approval 
of the relevant information collection. All comments are part of the 
public record and subject to disclosure. Please do not include any 
confidential or inappropriate material in your comments. We invite 
comments on: (1) The necessity and utility of the information 
collection for the proper performance of the agency's functions; (2) 
the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) the 
use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology to minimize the information collection burden.

Information Collection Open for Comment

    Title: 46 CFR 515--Licensing, Financial Responsibility 
Requirements, and General Duties for Ocean Transportation 
Intermediaries and Related Forms.

[[Page 25275]]

    OMB Approval Number: 3072-0018 (Expired March 31, 2019).
    Abstract: The Shipping Act of 1984 (the Act), 46 U.S.C. 40101-41309 
(2006), as modified by Public Law 105-258 (The Ocean Shipping Reform 
Act of 1998) and Section 424 of Public Law 105-383 (The Coast Guard 
Authorization Act of 1998), provides that no person in the United 
States may act as an ocean transportation intermediary (OTI) unless 
that person holds a license issued by the Commission. The Commission 
shall issue an OTI license to any person that the Commission determines 
to be qualified by experience and character to act as an OTI. Further, 
no person may act as an OTI unless that person furnishes a bond, proof 
of insurance, or other surety in a form and amount determined by the 
Commission to ensure financial responsibility. The Commission has 
implemented the Act's OTI requirements in regulations contained in 46 
CFR part 515, including financial responsibility Forms FMC-48, FMC-67, 
FMC-68, and FMC-69, Optional Rider Forms FMC-48A and FMC-69A, its 
related license application Form FMC-18, and the related foreign-based 
unlicensed NVOCC registration/renewal Form FMC-65.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement, with changes of a previously 
approved collection for which approval has expired.
    Proposed Changes: The proposed changes to the collection reflect 
proposed changes to Part 515 in a recent rulemaking, which include: (a) 
Removing optional paper application process and related reference to 
fee amounts; (b) clarifying language specifying who can be the 
Qualifying Individual in a partnership between entities other than 
individuals; (c) updating description of processes regarding renewals, 
bonds, and terminations; (d) expanding the types of applications 
subject to direct Commission review to include applicants employing the 
same officers, managers, or members of an OTI whose license was revoked 
or denied within the previous three years; (e) clarifying that sureties 
provide the organization number of OTIs with claim details for 
registered NVOCCs; (f) adding the submission of Form FMC-1 prior to 
being licensed; and (g) deleting reference to availability of the 
Regulated Person's Index (RPI) upon request.
    Most of the proposed changes seek to streamline licensing, 
registration, renewal, and termination processes so that the Commission 
and licensees and registrants can receive and transmit documents 
electronically; remove references to paper application and registration 
forms on the basis that no requests for waivers were received; and 
assist carriers in verifying an NVOCC's compliance with OTI licensing, 
tariff, and financial responsibility requirements by adding the 
requirement that Form FMC-1 be submitted prior to issuance of an OTI 
license. Electronic filing of applications, registrations, and 
financial responsibility documents reduces cost to OTIs and the 
Commission and facilitates Commission review and issuance of OTI 
licenses and registrations. The Commission currently issues OTI 
licenses upon receipt of evidence of financial responsibility. 
Licensees that are NVOCCs must publish a tariff and notify the 
Commission using Form FMC-1, prior to commencing NVOCC service. The 
proposed change to issue an NVOCC OTI license upon receipt of financial 
responsibility and Form FMC-1 will assist common carriers in 
determining an NVOCC's compliance with the OTI licensing, tariff, and 
financial responsibility requirements. Foreign-registered NVOCCs submit 
a Form FMC-65, Form FMC-1, and evidence of financial responsibility to 
the Commission prior to commencing NVOCC service. The Commission is 
clarifying that sureties provide the organization number of OTIs with 
claim details for registered NVOCCs. The sureties currently provide 
similar identifying information for licensed OTIs. Data contained in 
the RPI can be downloaded at no cost from the Commission's website, and 
therefore the Commission is proposing to delete reference of the 
availability of the RPI.
    Purpose: The Commission uses information obtained under this part 
and through Form FMC-18 to determine the qualifications of OTIs and 
their compliance with the Act and regulations and to enable the 
Commission to discharge its duties under the Act by ensuring that OTIs 
maintain acceptable evidence of financial responsibility. If the 
collection of information were not conducted, there would be no basis 
upon which the Commission could determine if applicants are qualified 
for licensing. The Commission would also not be able to effectively 
assess the compliance of foreign-based unlicensed NVOCCs without the 
required registration information.
    Frequency: This information is collected when applicants apply for 
a license or registration, complete the triennial renewal, or when 
existing licensees or registrants change certain information in their 
application forms.
    Type of Respondents: The types of respondents are persons desiring 
to obtain or maintain a license or registration to act as an OTI. Under 
the Act, OTIs may be either an ocean freight forwarder, a non-vessel-
operating common carrier, or both.
    Number of Annual Respondents: The Commission estimates a potential 
annual respondent universe of 6,475 entities.
    Estimated Time per Response: The time per response to complete 
application Form FMC-18 averages 2 hours and to complete the triennial 
renewal is 10 minutes. The time to complete a financial responsibility 
form averages 20 minutes. The time to complete Form FMC-65 to submit or 
renew a registration as a foreign-based unlicensed NVOCC averages 10 
minutes.
    Total Annual Burden: The Commission estimates the total annual 
burden at 3,941 hours.

Rachel Dickon,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-11386 Filed 5-30-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6731-AA-P