Recreational Boating SafetyFederal Requirements for Wearing Personal Flotation Devices

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 175

[CGD 97-059]

Recreational Boating Safety--Federal Requirements for Wearing

Personal Flotation Devices

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

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

period.

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SUMMARY: In a document published on September 25, 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 wear lifejackets. 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 boaters who

drown. This document reopens the comment period.

DATES: 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 97-059], 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:

Carlton Perry, Project Manager, Office of Boating Safety, Program

Management Division, (202) 267-0979. 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 September 25, 1997 [62 FR 50280], the

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

1998, to allow summarizing the comments received

[[Page 13587]]

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

and the number of comments received just before and just after the

close of the comment period, 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 wear lifejackets (personal flotation devices, or PFDs). In

particular, it encourages you to answer the specific questions about

these requirements or incentives for wearing lifejackets, 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 wearing PFDs.

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

97-059] 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. 98-7062 Filed 3-19-98; 8:45 am]

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