Rules of Practice, Procedure, and Evidence for Administrative Proceedings of the Coast Guard

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 20

46 CFR Part 5

[USCG-1998-3472]

RIN 2115-AF59

Rules of Practice, Procedure, and Evidence for Administrative

Proceedings of the Coast Guard

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Reopening of comment period on notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is reopening the period for public comment on

its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), Rules of Practice,

Procedures, and Evidence for Administrative Proceedings of the Coast

Guard. Because of several requests for extension, the Coast Guard is

reopening the period for 30 days.

DATES: Comments must reach the Coast Guard on or before June 19, 1998.

ADDRESSES: You may mail comments to the Docket Management Facility

[USCG-1998-3472], U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Room PL-401,

400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001, or deliver them to

room PL-401, located on the Plaza Level of the Nassif Building at the

same address between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except

Federal holidays. The telephone number is 202-366-9329.

The Docket Management Facility maintains the public docket for this

rulemaking. Comments, and documents as indicated in this preamble, will

become part of this docket and will be available for inspection or

copying at room PL-401, located on the Plaza Level of the Nassif

Building at the above address between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday

through Friday, except Federal holidays. You may also electronically

access the public docket for this rulemaking on the Internet at http://

dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For information on the public docket, contact Carol Kelley, Coast Guard

Dockets Team Leader, or Paulette Twine, Chief, Documentary Services

Division, U.S. Department of Transportation, telephone 202-366-9329;

for information concerning the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM)

provisions, contact George J. Jordan, Attorney-Advisor, Office of the

Chief Administrative Law Judge, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday

through Friday, except Federal holidays. His telephone number is 202-

267-0006.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Request for Comments

The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), published on April 6,

1998 (63 FR 16731), encouraged interested persons to participate in

this rulemaking by submitting written data, views, or arguments by May

6, 1998. This request does the same, except that it asks them by June

19, 1998.

Persons submitting comments should include their names and

addresses, identifying this rulemaking (USCG-1998-3472) and the

specific section of this document to which each comment applies, and

give the reason for each comment. Please submit one copy of all

comments and attachments in an unbound format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by

1 inches, suitable for copying and electronic filing to the DOT Docket

Management Facility at the address under ADDRESSES. If you want

acknowledgment of receipt of your comment, enclose a stamped, self-

addressed postcard or envelope.

The Coast Guard will consider all comments received during the

comment period. It may change this proposed rule in view of the

comments.

The Coast Guard plans no public meeting. Persons may request a

public meeting by writing to the Docket Management Facility at the

address under ADDRESSES. The request must identify this docket (USCG-

1998-3472) and should include the reasons why a public meeting would be

helpful to this rulemaking. If an opportunity for oral presentations

will help the rulemaking procedures, the Coast Guard will hold a public

meeting at a time and place announced by a later notice in the Federal

Register.

Background and Purpose

The Coast Guard seeks to improve its adjudication process. This

improvement would also affect certain actions involving merchant

mariners. First, the proposed rule would consolidate all Coast Guard

adjudicative procedures to include the following: the suspension and

revocation (S&R) of merchant mariners' licenses, certificates of

registry, and documents and the procedures involving class II civil

penalties. Second, the proposed rule would eliminate unnecessary

procedures from S&R proceedings. The Coast Guard expects the proposed

rule to facilitate the efficient use of administrative resources

relating to Coast Guard adjudication. It would save time, effort, and

money for all parties

[[Page 27701]]

who are or may become involved in Coast Guard actions.

Signed: 14 May 1998.

Robert S. Horowitz,

Chief Counsel (Acting).

[FR Doc. 98-13400 Filed 5-19-98; 8:45 am]

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