[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 127 (Wednesday, July 5, 2023)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 42907]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-14178]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

49 CFR Part 245

[Docket No. FRA-2022-0019, Notice No. 2]
RIN 2130-AC91


Certification of Dispatchers

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM); extension of comment 
period.

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SUMMARY: On May 31, 2023, FRA published an NPRM proposing to require 
railroads to develop written programs for certifying individuals who 
work as dispatchers on their networks and to submit those written 
certification programs to FRA for approval prior to implementation. By 
this notice, FRA is extending the NPRM's comment period by 30 days.

DATES: The comment period for the NPRM, published May 31, 2023, at 88 
FR 35574, scheduled to close on July 31, 2023, is extended until August 
30, 2023.

ADDRESSES: 
    Comments: Comments related to Docket No. FRA-2022-0019, Notice No. 
1, may be submitted by going to https://www.regulations.gov and 
following the online instructions for submitting comments.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name, docket 
name, and docket number or Regulatory Identification Number (RIN) for 
this rulemaking (2130-AC91). Note that all comments received will be 
posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov, including any 
personal information provided. Please see the Privacy Act heading in 
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document for Privacy Act 
information related to any submitted comments or materials.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov and follow the 
online instructions for accessing the docket.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Curtis Dolan, Railroad Safety 
Specialist, Dispatch Operating Practices, telephone: (470) 522-6633 or 
email: [email protected]; or Michael C. Spinnicchia, Attorney 
Adviser, Office of the Chief Counsel, telephone: (202) 493-0109 or 
email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In a June 16, 2023, petition, the American 
Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) requested a 60-
day extension of the NPRM's comment period.\1\ ASLRRA stated it needs 
additional time to thoroughly obtain and review feedback from its 
member railroads and provide FRA with data for the NPRM's regulatory 
flexibility analysis.
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    \1\ 88 FR 35574 (May 31, 2023).
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    The comment period for this NPRM is scheduled to close on July 31, 
2023. As FRA is partially granting ASLRRA's request, the comment period 
is now extended to August 30, 2023, which is a total of 30 days.

Privacy Act

    In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments from the 
public to better inform its rulemaking process. DOT posts these 
comments, without edit, to https://www.regulations.gov, as described in 
the system of records notice, DOT/ALL-14 FDMS, accessible through 
www.dot.gov/privacy. To facilitate comment tracking and response, we 
encourage commenters to provide their name, or the name of their 
organization; however, submission of names is completely optional. 
Whether or not commenters identify themselves, all timely comments will 
be fully considered. If you wish to provide comments containing 
proprietary or confidential information, please contact the agency for 
alternate submission instructions.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 20103, 20107, 20162, 21301, 21304, 21311; 
28 U.S.C. 2461 note; 49 CFR 1.89; and Pub. L. 110-432, sec. 402, 122 
Stat. 4884.

    Issued in Washington, DC.
Carolyn R. Hayward-Williams,
Director, Office of Railroad Systems and Technology.
[FR Doc. 2023-14178 Filed 7-3-23; 8:45 am]
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