Inquiry into Automated Tariff Filing Systems as Proposed by the Pending Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1998

FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION

46 CFR Part 514

[Docket No. 98-10]

Inquiry into Automated Tariff Filing Systems as Proposed by the

Pending Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1998

AGENCY: Federal Maritime Commission.

ACTION: Notice of inquiry; Extension of time.

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SUMMARY: Upon consideration of a request from counsel for various

carrier agreements and ocean common carriers a limited extension of

time to comment on the Notice of Inquiry in this matter is granted.

DATES: Comments due on or before August 25, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Send comments (original and 20 copies) to: Joseph C.

Polking, Secretary, Federal Maritime Commission, 800 North Capitol

Street, NW, Washington DC 20573-0001, (202) 523-5725.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Bryant L. VanBrakle, Director, Bureau of Tariffs, Certification and

Licensing, Federal Maritime Commission, 800 North Capitol Street, NW,

Washington, DC 20573-0001, (202) 523-5796

Thomas Panebianco, General Counsel, Federal Maritime Commission, 800

North Capitol Street, NW, Washington, DC 20573-0001, (202) 523-5740.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission on July 9, 1998, (63 FR

37088) published a Notice of Inquiry (``NOI'') to help determine an

approach that will produce automated tariff publication systems and

service contract filings that best comport with the directives of S.

414, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1998, and its legislative

history. The Commission directed comments to be filed by August 10,

1998, recognizing that S. 414 was awaiting action in the House of

Representatives and that passage there before adjournment could leave a

very short time period to adopt final implementing rules by the March

1, 1999, deadline contained in S. 414.

Counsel for numerous carrier agreements and ocean common carriers

now have requested a 30-day extension of the comment period to

September 11, 1998. As justification therefore counsel refer to the

fact that S. 414 has not yet been passed by the House and it would be

``premature and speculative to offer comments on how it should be

implemented.'' Counsel further suggest that because of the uncertainty

of the legislative process they have been ``reluctant to devote much

time'' to the matter and ``have not had an opportunity to meet and

discuss these issues.''

The Commission, in establishing the August 10 comment deadline,

recognized that enactment of S. 414 in its current form was not a

certainty, but nevertheless determined that time constraints required

that the NOI go forward. Nothing has changed in this regard although

the House of Representatives on August 4 passed a slightly modified

version of S. 414. Given the S. 414 time constraints, the Commission

must continue to proceed expeditiously and cannot accommodate a 30-day

extension request. Nevertheless, a 15-day extension to August 25, 1998,

will be granted in the interest of maximizing public participation in

the NOI. The demands inherent in meeting the proposed statutory

timetable may preclude comments received after that date from

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being considered in the preparation of a proposed rule.

Joseph C. Polking,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98-21491 Filed 8-10-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6730-01-M