80 FR 51576 - Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 164 (August 25, 2015)

The Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee and its working groups will meet to discuss various issues related to the training and fitness of merchant marine personnel. These meetings will be open to the public.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 164 (Tuesday, August 25, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51576-51577]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-20973]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2015-0752]


Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of Federal Advisory Committee Meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee and its 
working groups will meet to discuss various issues related to the 
training and fitness of merchant marine personnel. These meetings will 
be open to the public.

DATES: The Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee working groups 
are scheduled to meet on September 16, 2015, from 8 a.m. until 5:30 
p.m., and the full Committee is scheduled to meet on September 17, 
2015, from 8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Written comments for distribution to 
Committee members and for inclusion on the Merchant Marine Personnel 
Advisory Committee Web site must be submitted on or before September 8, 
2015. Please note that these meetings may adjourn early if all business 
is finished.

ADDRESSES: The Committee will meet in the Coast Guard National Maritime 
Center, 100 Forbes Drive, Martinsburg, WV 25404-7120.
    To facilitate public participation, we are inviting public comment 
on the issues to be considered by the Committee and working groups as 
listed in the ``Agenda'' section below. Written comments must be 
identified by Docket No. USCG-2015-0752 and submitted by one of the 
following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments (preferred method to 
avoid delays in processing).
     Fax: 202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility (M-30), U.S.Department of 
Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand delivery: Same as mail address above, between 9 a.m. 
and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays. The 
telephone number is 202-366-9329. Instructions: All submissions must 
include the words ``Department of Homeland Security'' and the docket 
number for this action. Comments received will be posted without 
alteration at http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal 
information provided. You may review a Privacy Act notice regarding our 
public dockets in the January 17, 2008, issue of the Federal Register 
(73 FR 3316).
    Docket: For access to the docket to read documents or comments 
related to this notice, go to http://www.regulations.gov, enter the 
docket number in the ``Search'' field and follow the instructions on 
the Web site.
    Public oral comment periods will be held each day. Speakers are 
requested to limit their comments to 3 minutes. Please note that the 
public oral comment periods may end following the last call for 
comments. Contact Mr. Davis Breyer as indicated below to register as a 
speaker. This notice may be viewed in our online docket, USCG-2015-
0752, at http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Davis Breyer, Alternate Designated 
Federal Officer of the Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee, 
telephone 202-372-1445, or at [email protected]. If you have any 
questions on viewing or submitting material to the docket, call Cheryl 
Collins, Program Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-366-9826 or 
1-800-647-5527. For further information on the location of the Coast 
Guard National Maritime Center, including information on facilities or 
services for individuals with disabilities or to request special 
assistance, contact Ms. Karen Quigley at 304-433-3403 or via email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice of this meeting is given under the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act, Title 5 United States Code Appendix.
    The Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee was established 
under authority of section 310 of the Howard Coble Coast Guard and 
Maritime Transportation Act of 2014, Title 46, United States Code, 
section 8108, and chartered under the provisions of the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act, (Title 5, United States Code, Appendix). The 
Committee acts solely in an advisory capacity to the Secretary of the 
Department of Homeland Security through the Commandant of the Coast 
Guard on matters relating to personnel in the U.S. merchant marine, 
including training, qualifications, certification, documentation, and 
fitness standards and other matters as assigned by the Commandant; 
shall review and comment on proposed Coast Guard regulations and 
policies relating to personnel in the United States merchant marine, 
including training, qualifications, certification, documentation, and 
fitness standards; may be given special assignments by the Secretary 
and may conduct studies, inquiries, workshops, and fact finding in 
consultation with individuals and groups in the private sector and with 
State or local governments; shall advise, consult with, and make 
recommendations reflecting its independent judgment to the Secretary.
    A copy of all meeting documentation, including the task statements, 
is available at https://homeport.uscg.mil by using these key strokes: 
Missions; Port and Waterways Safety; Advisory Committees; MERPAC; and 
then use the announcements key. Alternatively, you may contact Mr. 
Breyer as noted in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section above.

[[Page 51577]]

Agenda

Day 1

    The agenda for the September 16, 2015, meeting is as follows:
    (1) The full Committee will meet briefly to discuss the working 
groups' business/task statements, which are listed under paragraph 2 
(a)-(h) below.
    (2) Working groups will address the following task statements which 
are available for viewing at http://homeport.uscg.mil/merpac:
    (a) Task Statement 30, Utilizing military education, training and 
assessment for the International Convention on Standards of Training, 
Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers and U.S. Coast Guard 
Certifications;
    (b) Task Statement 58, Communication between external stakeholders 
and the mariner credentialing program, as it relates to the National 
Maritime Center;
    (c) Task Statement 84, Correction of merchant mariner credentials 
issued with clear errors;
    (d) Task Statement 87, Review of policy documents providing 
guidance on the implementation of the December 24, 2013 International 
Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping and 
Changes to National Endorsements rulemaking;
    (e) Task Statement 88, Mariner occupational health risk study 
analysis to further develop policy guidance on mariner fitness; and
    (f) Task Statement 89, Review and update of the International 
Maritime Organization's Maritime Safety Committee Circular MSC/
Circ.1014, ``Guidelines on Fatigue Mitigation and Management.''
    (3) Reports of working groups. At the end of the day, the working 
groups will report to the full Committee on what was accomplished in 
their meetings. The full Committee will not take action on these 
reports on this date. Any official action taken as a result of this 
working group meeting will be taken on day 2 of the meeting.
    (4) Public comment period.
    (5) Adjournment of meeting.

Day 2

    The agenda for the September 17, 2015, full Committee meeting is as 
follows:
    (1) Introduction;
    (2) Remarks from Coast Guard Leadership;
    (3) Designated Federal Officer announcements;
    (4) Roll call of Committee members and determination of a quorum;
    (5) Reports from the following working groups;
    (a) Task Statement 30, Utilizing military education, training and 
assessment for the International Convention on Standards of Training, 
Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers and U.S. Coast Guard 
Certifications;
    (b) Task Statement 58, Communication between external stakeholders 
and the mariner credentialing program, as it relates to the National 
Maritime Center;
    (c) Task Statement 80, Develop training guidelines for mariners 
employed aboard vessels subject to the International Code of Safety for 
Ships Using Gases or Other Low-flashpoint Fuels;
    (d) Task Statement 81, Development of competency requirements for 
vessel personnel working within the polar regions;
    (e) Task Statement 84, Correction of merchant mariner credentials 
issued with clear errors; and
    (f) Task Statement 87, Review of policy documents providing 
guidance on the implementation of the December 24, 2013 International 
Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping and 
Changes to National Endorsements rulemaking.
    (g) Task Statement 88, Mariner occupational health risk study 
analysis to further develop policy guidance on mariner fitness.
    (h) Task Statement 89, Review and update of International Maritime 
Organization's Maritime Safety Committee Circular MSC/Circ.1014, 
``Guidelines on Fatigue Mitigation and Management.''
    (6) Other items for discussion:
    (a) Report on the Implementation of the 2010 Amendments to the 
International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and 
Watchkeeping;
    (b) Report on National Maritime Center activities from the National 
Maritime Center Commanding Officer, such as the net processing time it 
takes for mariners to receive their credentials after application 
submittal;
    (c) Report on Mariner Credentialing Program Policy Division 
activities, such as its current initiatives and projects;
    (d) Report on International Maritime Organization/International 
Labor Organization issues related to the merchant marine industry; and
    (e) Briefings about on-going Coast Guard projects related to 
personnel in the U.S. merchant marine, including a draft task statement 
concerning job descriptions for the various billets on merchant 
vessels.
    (7) New Business.
    New task statement--``Merchant Mariner Credential Expiration 
Harmonization.''
    (8) Public comment period.
    (9) Discussion of working group recommendations. The Committee will 
review the information presented on each issue, deliberate on any 
recommendations presented by the working groups and approve/formulate 
recommendations for the Department's consideration. Official action on 
these recommendations may be taken on this date.
    (10) Closing remarks/plans for next meeting.
    (11) Adjournment of meeting.

J.G. Lantz,
Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2015-20973 Filed 8-24-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-04-P