[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 8, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14380-14382]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-04767]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2023-0099]


National Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee; March 2023 
Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of Federal Advisory Committee meeting.

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SUMMARY: The National Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee 
(Committee) will conduct a series of meetings over three days in New 
Orleans, LA, to discuss issues relating to personnel in the United 
States Merchant Marine including the training, qualifications, 
certification, documentation, and fitness of mariners.

DATES: 
    Meetings: The National Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee 
is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, from 9 a.m. until 4:30 
p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT), Wednesday, March 29, 2023, from 9 
a.m. until 4:30 p.m. (CDT), and Thursday, March 30, 2023, from 9 a.m. 
until 3:30 p.m. (CDT). Committee meetings on Tuesday, March 28, and 
Wednesday, March 29, will include periods during which the Committee 
will break into subcommittees (open to public). These meetings may 
adjourn early if the Committee has completed its business.
    Comments and supporting documentation: To ensure your comments are 
received by Committee members before the meetings, submit your written 
comments no later than March 21, 2023.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Omni Riverfront Hotel, 
additional information about the facility can be found at: 
www.omnihotels.com/hotels/new-orleans-riverfront.
    The National Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee is

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committed to ensuring all participants have equal access regardless of 
disability status. If you require reasonable accommodation due to a 
disability to fully participate, please email Mrs. Megan Johns Henry at 
[email protected] or call at (202) 372-1255 as soon as possible.
    Instructions: You are free to submit comments at any time, 
including orally at the meetings as time permits, but if you want 
Committee members to review your comments before the meetings, please 
submit your comments no later than March 21, 2023. We are particularly 
interested in comments on the topics in the ``Agenda'' section below. 
We encourage you to submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal at https://www.regulations.gov. If your material cannot be 
submitted using https://www.regulations.gov, email the individual in 
the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document for 
alternate instructions. You must include the docket number [USCG-2023-
0099]. Comments received will be posted without alteration at http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. You 
may wish to review the Privacy and Security notice available on the 
https://www.regulations.gov. For more about the Privacy and submissions 
in response to this document, see DHS's eRulemaking System of Records 
notice (85 FR 14226, March 11, 2020). If you encounter technical 
difficulties with comment submission, contact the individual listed in 
the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice.
    Docket Search: Documents mentioned in this notice as being 
available in the docket, and all public comments, will be in our online 
docket at https://www.regulations.gov and can be viewed by following 
that website's instructions. Additionally, if you go to the online 
docket and sign-up for email alerts, you will be notified when comments 
are posted.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs. Megan Johns Henry, Alternate 
Designated Federal Officer of the National Merchant Marine Personnel 
Advisory Committee, telephone (202) 372-1255, or email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice of these meetings is in compliance 
with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 117-286, 5 U.S.C. ch. 
10). The National Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee is 
authorized by section 601 of the Frank LoBiondo Act of 2018, and is 
codified in 46 U.S.C. 15103. The Committee operates under the 
provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 117-286, 5 
U.S.C. ch. 10), and 46 U.S.C. 15109. The National Merchant Marine 
Personnel Advisory Committee provides advice and recommendations to the 
Secretary of Homeland Security through the Commandant of the United 
States Guard on matters relating to personnel in the United States 
Merchant Marine including the training, qualifications, certification, 
documentation, and fitness of mariners.
    Agenda: The National Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee 
will meet on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, Wednesday, March 29, 2023, and 
Thursday, March 30, 2023, to review, discuss, deliberate, and formulate 
recommendations, as appropriate on the following topics:

Day 1

    The agenda for the March 28, 2023 meeting is as follows:
    (1) The full Committee will meet briefly to discuss the 
subcommittees' business/task statements, which are listed under 
paragraph (10) under Day 3 below.
    (2) During the morning session of the meeting, subcommittees will 
separately address and work on the following task statements, which are 
available for viewing at https://homeport.uscg.mil/missions/federal-advisory-committees/national-merchant-marine-personnel-advisory-committee-(nmerpac)/task-statements:
    (a.) Task Statement 23-X1, Review of Navigation and Vessel 
Inspection Circular 03-14, Guidelines for Approval of Training Courses 
and Programs;
    (b.) Task Statement 22-3, Mariner Credentialing Program (MCP) 
Transformation; and
    (c.) Task Statement 21-9, Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault, 
Prevention and Culture Change in the Merchant Marine.
    (3) During the afternoon session of the meeting, subcommittees will 
separately address and work on the following task statements, which are 
available for viewing at https://homeport.uscg.mil/missions/federal-advisory-committees/national-merchant-marine-personnel-advisory-committee-(nmerpac)/task-statements:
    (a.) Task Statement 23-X1, Review of Navigation and Vessel 
Inspection Circular 03-14, Guidelines for Approval of Training Courses 
and Programs;
    (b.) Task Statement 22-3, Mariner Credentialing Program (MCP) 
Transformation; and
    (c.) Task Statement 21-9, Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault, 
Prevention and Culture Change in the Merchant Marine.
    (4) Report of subcommittees. At end of the day, the Chair or Co-
Chairs of the subcommittees will report to the full Committee on what 
was accomplished. The full Committee will not take action on this date 
and the Chair or Co-Chairs of the subcommittees will present a full 
report to the Committee on Day 3 of the meeting.
    (5) Adjournment of meeting.

Day 2

    The agenda for the March 29, 2023 meeting is as follows:
    (1) The full Committee will meet briefly to discuss the 
subcommittees' business/task statements, which are listed under 
paragraph (9) under Day 3 below.
    (2) During the morning session of the meeting, subcommittees will 
separately address and work on the following task statements, which are 
available for viewing at https://homeport.uscg.mil/missions/federal-advisory-committees/national-merchant-marine-personnel-advisory-committee-(nmerpac)/task-statements:
    (a.) Task Statement 23-X1, Review of Navigation and Vessel 
Inspection Circular 03-14, Guidelines for Approval of Training Courses 
and Programs;
    (b.) Task Statement 21-2, Communication Between External 
Stakeholders and the Mariner Credentialing Program; and
    (c.) Task Statement 21-3, Military Education, Training and 
Assessment for STCW and National Mariner Endorsements.
    (3) During the afternoon session of the meeting, subcommittees will 
separately address and work on the following task statements, which are 
available for viewing at https://homeport.uscg.mil/missions/federal-advisory-committees/national-merchant-marine-personnel-advisory-committee-(nmerpac)/task-statements:
    (a.) Task Statement 23-X1, Review of Navigation and Vessel 
Inspection Circular 03-14, Guidelines for Approval of Training Courses 
and Programs;
    (b.) Task Statement 21-2, Communication Between External 
Stakeholders and the Mariner Credentialing Program; and
    (c.) Task Statement 22-1, Propulsion Power Limitations.
    (4) Report of subcommittees. At end of the day, the Chair or Co-
Chairs of the subcommittees will report to the full Committee on what 
was accomplished. The full Committee will not take action on this date 
and the Chair or Co-Chairs of the subcommittees will present a full

[[Page 14382]]

report to the Committee on Day 3 of the meeting.
    (5) Adjournment of meeting.

Day 3

    The agenda for the March 30, 2023 meeting is as follows:
    (1) Introduction.
    (2) Designated Federal Officer remarks.
    (3) Roll call of Committee members and determination of a quorum.
    (4) Adoption of the agenda.
    (5) Acceptance of Minutes from Committee Meeting Three (September 
9, 2022).
    (6) Remarks from U.S. Coast Guard Leadership.
    (7) Introduction of new task.
    (8) Office of Merchant Mariner Credentialing presentation.
    (9) National Maritime Center presentation.
    (10) Reports from the subcommittee Chair or Co-Chairs.
    The Committee will review the information presented on the 
following Task Statements and deliberate on any recommendations 
presented by the subcommittees, recommendations may be approved and 
completed tasks may be closed. Official action on these topics may be 
taken:
    (a) Task Statement 21-1, Review of IMO Model Courses Being 
Validated by the IMO HTW Subcommittee;
    (b) Task Statement 21-2, Communication Between External 
Stakeholders and the Mariner Credentialing Program, including amendment 
Task Statement 21-2A, Reviewing Assessments in NVICS for STCW;
    (c) Task Statement 21-3, Military Education, Training, and 
Assessment for STCW and National Mariner Endorsements;
    (d) Task Statement 21-04, STCW Convention and STCW Code Review;
    (e) Task Statement 21-5, Review of Merchant Mariner Rating and 
Officer Endorsement Job Task Analyses, including amendment Task 
Statement 21-5A, JTA to Mass Mapping;
    (f) Task Statement 21-6, Sea Service for Merchant Mariner 
Credential Endorsements;
    (g) Task Statement 21-8, Remote Operators of Maritime Autonomous 
Surface Ships;
    (h) Task Statement 21-9, Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault-
Prevention and Culture Change in the Merchant Marine, including 
amendment Task Statement 21-9A, Training for Sexual Assault and Sexual 
Harassment Prevention and Response;
    (i) Task Statement 22-1, Propulsion Power Limits; and
    (j) Task Statement 22-2, Alternative Methods for Meeting STCW 
Training Requirements at the Operational Level;
    (k) Task Statement 23-X1, Review of Navigation and Vessel 
Inspection Circular (NVIC) 03-14, Guidelines for Approval of Training 
Courses and Programs.
    (11) Public comment period.
    (12) Closing remarks.
    (13) Adjournment of meeting.
    A copy of all meeting documentation will be available at https://homeport.uscg.mil/missions/federal-advisory-committees/national-merchant-marine-personnel-advisory-committee-(nmerpac) by March 21, 
2023. Alternatively, you may contact the individual noted in the FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section above.
    Public comments or questions will be taken throughout the meetings 
as the Committee discusses the issues, and prior to deliberations and 
voting. There will also be a public comment period at the end of the 
meeting on March 30, 2023, at approximately 2:30 p.m. (CDT). Public 
comments will be limited to 3 minutes per speaker. Please note that the 
public comments period will end following the last call for comments. 
Please contact the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT section to register as a speaker.

    Dated: March 3, 2023.
Benjamin J. Hawkins,
Deputy Director, Commercial Regulations and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2023-04767 Filed 3-7-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P