[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 142 (Monday, July 28, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35568-35569]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-14187]



[[Page 35568]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

[Docket No. FMCSA-2025-0125]


Hours of Service; National Propane Gas Association; Application 
for Exemption; Extension of Comment Period

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Department 
of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: National Propane Gas Association; application for exemption; 
extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: FMCSA extends the comment period for its July 1, 2025, notice 
requesting public comment on the application from the National Propane 
Gas Association (NPGA) for an exemption from various hours-of-service 
(HOS) requirements between December 15 and March 15 each year to enable 
the propane industry to better prepare and respond to emergencies 
threatening human health and safety during winter. The Agency finds it 
is appropriate to extend the comment period to provide interested 
parties additional time to submit their responses to the notice. 
Therefore, FMCSA extends the deadline for the submission of comments 
for 15 days.

DATES: The comment period for the notice published on July 1, 2025, at 
90 FR 28854 is extended by 15 days. Comments must be received on or 
before August 15, 2025.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Docket Number FMCSA-
2025-0125 by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. See the 
Public Participation and Request for Comments section below for further 
information.
     Mail: Dockets Operations, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Ground Floor, 
Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West 
Building, Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001, between 9 a.m. and 5 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
     Fax: (202) 493-2251.
    Each submission must include the Agency name and the docket number 
(FMCSA-2025-0125) for this notice. Note that DOT posts all comments 
received without change to www.regulations.gov, including any personal 
information included in a comment. Please see the Privacy Act heading 
below.
    Privacy Act: In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31315(b), DOT solicits 
comments from the public to better inform its processes. DOT posts 
these comments, including any personal information the commenter 
provides, to www.regulations.gov, as described in the system of records 
notice DOT/ALL-14 FDMS (Federal Docket Management System (FDMS)), which 
can be reviewed at https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/privacy/privacy-act-system-records-notices. The comments are posted without 
edit and are searchable by the name of the submitter.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Richard Clemente, FMCSA Driver and 
Carrier Operations Division; Office of Carrier, Driver and Vehicle 
Safety Standards; FMCSA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 
20590-0001; 771-216-2436 or [email protected]. If you have 
questions on viewing or submitting material to the docket, call Docket 
Operations at (202) 366-9826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Public Participation and Request for Comments

    FMCSA encourages you to participate by submitting comments and 
related materials.

A. Submitting Comments

    If you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this 
notice (FMCSA-2025-0125), indicate the specific section of this 
document to which the comment applies, and provide a reason for 
suggestions or recommendations. You may submit your comments and 
material online or by fax, mail, or hand delivery, but please use only 
one of these means. FMCSA recommends that you include your name and a 
mailing address, an email address, or a phone number in the body of 
your document so the Agency can contact you if it has questions 
regarding your submission.
    To submit your comment online, go to https://www.regulations.gov/document/FMCSA-2025-0125-0002 and click ``Comment,'' and type your 
comment into the text box on the following screen.
    If you submit your comments by mail or hand delivery, submit them 
in an unbound format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, suitable for 
copying and electronic filing.
    FMCSA will consider all comments and material received during the 
comment period. Comments received after the comment closing date will 
be filed in the public docket and will be considered to the extent 
practicable.

B. Confidential Business Information (CBI)

    CBI is commercial or financial information that is both customarily 
and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of 
Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public disclosure. 
If your comments responsive to the notice contain commercial or 
financial information that is customarily treated as private, that you 
actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to the 
notice, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted 
comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission that 
constitutes CBI as ``PROPIN'' to indicate it contains proprietary 
information. FMCSA will treat such marked submissions as confidential 
under the Freedom of Information Act, and they will not be placed in 
the public docket of the notice. Submissions containing CBI should be 
sent to Brian Dahlin, Chief, Regulatory Evaluation Division, Office of 
Policy, FMCSA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001 or 
via email at [email protected]. At this time, you need not send a 
duplicate hardcopy of your electronic CBI submissions to FMCSA 
headquarters. Any comments FMCSA receives not specifically designated 
as CBI will be placed in the public docket for this notice.

C. Viewing Comments and Documents

    To view comments, as well as any documents mentioned in this 
preamble as being available in the docket, go to https://www.regulations.gov insert FMCSA-2025-0125 in the keyword box, select 
the document tab and choose the document to review. To view comments, 
go to https://www.regulations.gov/document/FMCSA-2025-0125-0002, then 
click ``Browse Comments.'' If you do not have access to the internet, 
you may view the docket online by visiting Docket Operations on the 
ground floor of the DOT West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, 
Washington, DC 20590-0001, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., ET Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays. To be sure someone is there to help 
you, please call (202) 366-9317 or (202) 366-9826 before visiting 
Dockets Operations.

II. Background

    On July 1, 2025, FMCSA published a notice of application for 
exemption from the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) with a 
comment deadline of

[[Page 35569]]

July 31, 2025 (90 FR 28854). NPGA requests a five-year exemption for 
its member company drivers to waive the requirements of 49 CFR 395.3 
with prior notice to FMCSA, each year between the period of December 15 
and March 15, when the need for propane as heating fuel is most urgent.
    On July 15, 2025, the New York State Department of Transportation 
asked the Agency to extend the comment period to August 29, 2025. The 
New York State Department of Transportation expressed concern that 
exemptions from safety and hazardous materials regulations have the 
potential to undermine safety and complicate the enforcement process, 
and the application requires extensive review. FMCSA believes it is 
appropriate to extend the July 31, 2025, deadline to provide interested 
parties additional time to submit comments to the docket. Therefore, 
FMCSA extends the comment period for all comments until August 15, 
2025.

Larry W. Minor,
Associate Administrator of Policy.
[FR Doc. 2025-14187 Filed 7-25-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-EX-P