[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 57 (Thursday, March 24, 2022)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 16634-16635]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-06196]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

15 CFR Part 997

[Docket No. 220228-0064]
RIN 0648-BK83


U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System Office, Legislation; Name 
Change

AGENCY: U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), National Ocean 
Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Department of Commerce (DOC).

ACTION: Final rule, technical amendment.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System Office, led by the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), issues this 
final rule to change the name for ``Regional Information Coordination 
Entities (RICEs)'' to ``Regional Coastal Observing Systems.'' This rule 
has no substantive effect.

DATES: These regulations are effective on March 24, 2022.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Oriana Villar at 240-533-9466 or 
[email protected]v, or at U.S. IOOS Office, 1315 East West Highway, 
Suite 300, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation 
System (ICOOS) Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111-11) (ICOOS Act or Act, codified 
at 33 U.S.C. 3601-3610) and the Coordinated Ocean Observation and 
Research Act of 2020 (Pub. L. 116-271, Title I) (COORA, amending 33 
U.S.C. 3601-3610), directs the President to establish a National 
Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System (System). The System 
must ``include in situ, remote, and other coastal and ocean observation 
and modeling capabilities, technologies, data management, communication 
systems, and product development systems and [be] designed to address 
regional and national needs for ocean and coastal information, to 
gather specific data on key coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes variables, 
and to ensure timely and sustained dissemination and availability of 
these data.'' 33 U.S.C. 3601(1).
    The ICOOS Act and COORA direct the Interagency Ocean Observation 
Committee (IOOC) to develop contract certification standards and 
compliance procedures for integrating regional coastal observing 
systems into the System. 33 U.S.C. 3603(c)(2)(B)(v). The COORA Act, in 
amending the ICOOS Act, replaces the term Regional Information 
Coordination Entity (RICE) with the term Regional Coastal Observing 
System (RCOS). The term ```regional coastal observing system' means an 
organizational body that is certified or established by contract or 
memorandum by the lead Federal agency designated in section 12304(c)(3) 
and coordinates Federal, State, local, tribal, and private interests at 
a regional level with the responsibility of engaging the private and 
public sectors in designing, operating, and improving regional coastal 
observing systems in order to ensure the provision of data and 
information that meet the needs of user groups from the respective 
regions.''
    NOAA promulgated regulations in 2014 to develop certification 
criteria and procedures for integrating RICEs into the system. (June 5, 
2014; 79 FR 32449). These regulations are found at 15 CFR part 997.
    By this final rule, NOAA is officially changing the name of the 
Regional Information Coordination Entity (RICE) to reflect the new 
name, Regional Coastal Observing System (RCOS), as defined in the 
COORA. This change is necessary to implement the new name established 
by the COORA in the implementing regulations. This name change has no 
substantive impact.
    By this final rule, NOAA is also updating its mailing address in 
997.11(b) and changing the name of the ``U.S. IOOS Program Office'' to 
the ``U.S. IOOS Office'' in 997.20(b), 997.23(f)(5), 997.23(f)(5), and 
997.24(a). These changes also do not have substantive impacts.

I. Classifications

A. Administrative Procedures Act

    This rule pertains solely to the renaming of ``Regional Information 
Coordination Entities (RICEs)'' to ``Regional Coastal Observing Systems 
(RCOSs)'' in an existing rule necessitated by the Coordinated Ocean 
Observation and Research Act of 2020 (Pub. L. 116-271, Title I). NOAA 
also is updating its mailing address and updating the name of the IOOS 
Office. It makes no changes to the substantive legal rights, 
obligations, or interests of affected parties. This rule therefore is a 
``rule of agency organization, procedure or practice'' and is therefore 
exempt from the notice-and-comment requirements of 5 U.S.C. 553 under 5 
U.S.C. 553(b)(A). Nor is a 30-day delay in effective date required 
under 5 U.S.C. 553(d) due to the non-substantive nature of this 
technical amendment.

B. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Impact

    This rule has been determined to be not significant within the 
meaning of Executive Order 12866.

C. Paperwork Reduction Act

    This rule does not contain any new or revisions to the existing 
information collection requirement that was approved by OMB (OMB 
Control Number 0648-0672, Application to be Certified as a Regional 
Information Coordination Entity) under the Paperwork Reduction Act 
(PRA), 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. Notwithstanding any other provision of 
the law, no person is required to respond to, nor shall any person be 
subject to a penalty for failure to comply with, a collection of 
information subject to the requirements of the PRA, unless that 
collection of information displays a currently valid OMB Control 
Number.

D. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    This regulation is exempt from the notice and comment provisions of 
the Administrative Procedures Act (APA), 5 U.S.C. 553. Therefore, the 
requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act do not apply, 5 U.S.C. 
603(a). No other rule requires a regulatory flexibility analysis and 
none has been prepared.

List of Subjects in 15 CFR Part 997

    Science and technology.


Nicole R. LeBoeuf,
Assistant Administrator, for Ocean Services and Coastal Zone 
Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

    Accordingly, for the reasons set forth above, 15 CFR part 997 is 
amended as follows:

PART 997-- REGIONAL COASTAL OBSERVING SYSTEM

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1. The authority citation for part 997 is revised to read as follows:

    Authority: 33 U.S.C. 3602-3603.


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2. In part 997:
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a. Revise the part heading to read as set forth above.
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b. Remove the text ``Regional Information Coordination Entity (RICE)'' 
wherever it appears and add in its place

[[Page 16635]]

the text ``Regional Coastal Observing System (RCOS)'';
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c. Remove the text ``a RICE'' wherever it appears and add in its place 
the text ``an RCOS'';
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d. Remove the text ``RICE'' wherever it appears and add in its place 
the text ``RCOS''; and
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e. Remove the text ``U.S. IOOS Program Office'' wherever it appears and 
add in its place the text ``U.S. IOOS Office''.

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3. In Sec.  997.11, revise paragraph (b) to read as follows:


Sec.  997.11  Application process.

* * * * *
    (b) Submission shall be made to NOAA at the following address, or 
to such other address as may be indicated in the future: Director U.S. 
IOOS Office, NOAA, 1315 East West Hwy., Suite 3000, Silver Spring, MD 
20910. Submissions may also be made online at http://www.ioos.noaa.gov/certification.

[FR Doc. 2022-06196 Filed 3-23-22; 8:45 am]
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