Federal Requirements for Education in Recreational Boating Safety

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

33 CFR Subchapter S

[CGD 97-066]

Federal Requirements for Education in Recreational Boating Safety

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

[[Page 13586]]

ACTION: Proposed rule; request for comments; reopening of comment

period.

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SUMMARY: In a document published on October 23, 1997, the Coast Guard

requested comments from interested people, groups, and businesses about

the need for, and alternatives to, Federal requirements or incentives

for boaters to take courses in boating safety. The Coast Guard will

consider all comments, and consult with the National Boating Safety

Advisory Council (NBSAC), in determining how best to reduce the number

of deaths among boaters caused by a lack of boating safety training.

This document reopens the comment period.

DATE: Comments must reach the Coast Guard on or before May 29, 1998.

ADDRESSES: You may mail comments to the Executive Secretary, Marine

Safety Council (G-LRA, 3406) [CGD 97-066], U.S. Coast Guard

Headquarters, 2100 Second Street SW, Washington, DC 20593-0001, or

deliver them to room 3406 at the same address between 9:30 a.m. and 2

p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone

number is 202-267-1477.

The Executive Secretary 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 3406, U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, between 9:30 a.m.

and 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mike Moore, Project Manager, Office of Boating Safety, Program

Development and Implementation Division, (202) 267-0577. You may obtain

a copy of this Notice or of the original one by calling the U.S. Coast

Guard Infoline at 1-800-368-5647, or read either on the Internet, at

the Web Site for the office of Boating Safety, at URL address

www.uscgboating.org.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background and Purpose

In a Notice published on October 23, 1997 (62 FR 55199), the Coast

Guard set the original close of the comment period at February 2, 1998,

to allow summarizing the comments received and providing the summaries

to the members of NBSAC before the scheduled meeting on April 27, 1998.

Because of reported delays in publication of that Notice in several

recreational boating periodicals, the number of comments received just

before and just after the close of the comment period, and a request by

the Boat Owners Association of the United States, the Coast Guard is

reopening the comment period to provide additional time for submission

of public comment. All comments submitted in response to the original

Notice are already in the docket. The Coast Guard will summarize all

comments it receives during the comment period in response to this

Notice and the original one, place a copy of the summary in the public

docket, and provide copies to the members of NBSAC for them to consider

at their meeting in October, 1998. (The Coast Guard will publish

details of the exact time and place of the meeting in the Federal

Register at a later date. The meeting will be open to the public.) It

will itself consider all relevant comments in the formulation of any

regulatory or nonregulatory measures that may follow from this notice.

Request for Comments

The Coast Guard encourages you to submit comments about the need

for, and alternatives to, Federal requirements or incentives for

boaters to participate in boating safety education. In particular, it

encourages you to answer the specific questions about these

requirements or incentives for taking courses in boating safety, which

it developed in consultation with members of NBSAC at the meeting in

April 1997. It also solicits comments from all segments of the boating

community, State boating safety authorities, NBSAC, the national

Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), and other

interested people, groups, and businesses on the economic and other

impacts of Federal requirements or incentives for boating safety

education.

Please include your name and address, identify this rulemaking [CGD

97-066] and the specific question or area of concern to which each

comment applies, and give the reason(s) for each comment. Please submit

two copies of all comments and attachments in an unbound format, no

larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, to help us with copying and electronic

filing. If you want us to acknowledge receipt of your comments, please

enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard or envelope.

Dated: March 12, 1998.

James D. Hull,

Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Acting Assistant Commandant for

Operations.

[FR Doc. 98-7061 Filed 3-19-98; 8:45 am]

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