81 FR 9209 - Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 36 (February 24, 2016)

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. The meetings will be open to the public.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 36 (Wednesday, February 24, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9209-9210]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-03816]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2016-0082]


Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of Federal Advisory Committee Meeting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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. The meetings will be 
open to the public.

DATES: The Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee and its working 
groups are scheduled to meet on March 16, 2016, from 8 a.m. until 5:30 
p.m., and the full Committee is scheduled to meet on March 17, 2016, 
from 8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Please note that these meetings may adjourn 
early if the Committee has completed its business.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at Crowley Maritime Corporation, 
1st Floor Conference Room, 9487 Regency Square Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 
32225-8183 (http://www.crowley.com). For further information about the 
meeting facilities, please contact Ms. Becky Kelly at (904) 727-4213. 
Please be advised that all attendees are required to check-in to the 
visitor's booth located to the right of the main building entrance. All 
attendees will be required to provide government-issued picture 
identification in order to gain admittance to the building. For 
planning purposes, please notify the Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory 
Committee Alternate Designated Federal Officer of your attendance as 
soon as possible using the contact information provided in the FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice.
    For information on facilities or services for individuals with 
disabilities or to request special assistance at the meeting, contact 
the Alternate Designated Federal Officer as soon as possible.
    To facilitate public participation, we are inviting public comment 
on the issues to be considered by the Committee as listed in the 
``Agenda'' section below. Written comments for distribution to 
Committee members must be submitted no later than March 9, 2016, if you 
want the Committee members to be able to review your comments before 
the meeting, and must be identified by docket number USCG-2016-0082. 
Written comments may be submitted using the Federal eRulemaking Portal 
at http://www.regulations.gov. If your material cannot be submitted 
using http://www.regulations.gov, contact the Alternate Designated 
Federal Officer for alternate instructions.
    Instructions: All submissions received 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 the Federal Docket Management 
System in the March 24, 2005, issue of the Federal Register (70 FR 
15086).
    Docket: For access to the docket to read documents or comments 
related to this notice, go to http://www.regulations.gov, type USCG-
2016-0082 in the Search box, press Enter, and then click on the item 
you wish to view.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Davis Breyer, Alternate Designated 
Federal Officer of the Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee, 
2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE., Stop 7509, Washington, DC 20593-
7509, telephone 202-372-1445, fax 202-372-8382, or 
[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 United States 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.

Agenda

Day 1

    The agenda for the March 16, 2016 meeting is as follows:
    (1) The full Committee will meet briefly to discuss the working 
groups' business/task statements, which are listed under paragraph 
3(a)-(i) below.

[[Page 9210]]

    (2) Public comment period.
    (3) Working groups will separately 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 81, Development of Competency Requirements for 
vessel personnel working Within the Polar Regions;
    (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'';
    (g) Task Statement 90, Review of IMO Model Courses Being Validated 
by the IMO HTW Subcommittee; and
    (h) Task Statement 91, Merchant Mariner Credential Expiration 
Harmonization.
    (4) 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 these 
working group meetings will be taken on day 2 of the meeting.
    (5) Public comment period
    (6) Adjournment of meeting.

Day 2

    The agenda for the March 17, 2016, full Committee meeting is as 
follows:
    (1) Introduction;
    (2) Swear in newly appointed Committee members;
    (3) Remarks from Coast Guard Leadership;
    (4) Designated Federal Officer announcements;
    (5) Roll call of Committee members and determination of a quorum;
    (6) 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 81, Development of competency requirements for 
vessel personnel working within the Polar Regions;
    (d) Task Statement 84, Correction of merchant mariner credentials 
issued with clear errors; and
    (e) 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.
    (f) Task Statement 88, Mariner occupational health risk study 
analysis to further develop policy guidance on mariner fitness
    (g) Task Statement 89, Review and update of International Maritime 
Organization's Maritime Safety Committee Circular MSC/Circ.1014, 
``Guidelines on Fatigue Mitigation and Management'';
    (h) Task Statement 90, Review of IMO Model Courses Being Validated 
by the IMO HTW Subcommittee; and
    (i) Task Statement 91, Merchant Mariner Credential Expiration 
Harmonization.
    (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.
    (7) New Business
    (a) New task statement--``The Review of Merchant Marine Personnel 
Advisory Committee Recommendations'';
    (b) New task statement--``Electronic Chart Systems Training 
Requirements''; and
    (c) New task statement--``Color Vision Critical Duties/Tasks for 
Mariners Required to Meet the Standards of 46 CFR 10.305(a) and 
10.305(b)''.
    (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.
    A public comment period will be held during each Working Group and 
full Committee meeting concerning matters being discussed.
    Public comments will be limited to 3 minutes per speaker. Please 
note that the public comment periods will end following the last call 
for comments. Please contact Mr. Davis Breyer, listed in the FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section, to register as a speaker.

    Dated: February 19, 2016.
J. G. Lantz,
Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards, United States Coast 
Guard.
[FR Doc. 2016-03816 Filed 2-23-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-04-P