Request Notice: Use of Foreign-Built Small Passenger Vessel in United States Coastwise Trade, S/V SASA

[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 73 (Thursday, April 16, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20570-20571]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-07340]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maritime Administration

[Docket No. MARAD-2026-0628]


Request Notice: Use of Foreign-Built Small Passenger Vessel in 
United States Coastwise Trade, S/V SASA

AGENCY: Maritime Administration (MARAD), U.S. Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary of Transportation, as represented by MARAD, is 
authorized to make determinations regarding the coastwise use of 
foreign built; certain U.S. built; and U.S. and foreign rebuilt vessels 
that solely carry no more than twelve passengers for hire. MARAD has 
received such a determination request and is publishing this notice to 
solicit comments to assist with determining whether the proposed use of 
the vessel set forth in the request would have an adverse effect on 
U.S. vessel builders or U.S. coastwise trade businesses that use U.S.-
built vessels in those businesses. Information about the requestor's 
vessel, including a description of the proposed service, is in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below.

DATES: Submit comments on or before May 18, 2026.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket Number 
MARAD-2026-0628 by any one of the following methods:
    •  Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov. Search the above DOT Docket Number and follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    •  Mail or Hand Delivery: Docket Management Facility is in 
the West Building, Ground Floor of the U.S. Department of 
Transportation. The Docket Management Facility location address is U.S. 
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, 
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except on Federal holidays.
    Note: If you mail or hand-deliver your comments, we recommend that 
you include the DOT Docket Number, your name and a mailing address, an 
email address or a telephone number in the body of your document so 
that we can contact you if we have questions regarding your submission.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and specific DOT Docket Number. All comments received will be posted 
without change to the docket at www.regulations.gov, including any 
personal information provided. For detailed instructions on submitting 
comments, or to submit comments that are confidential in nature, see 
the section entitled Public Participation.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia Hagerty, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Maritime Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, 
Mail Stop 2, MAR-620, Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: (202) 366-5400. 
Email: smallvessels@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to 46 U.S.C. 12121(b), the U.S. 
Coast Guard may issue a certificate of documentation with a coastwise 
trade endorsement for eligible, small passenger vessels authorized to 
carry no more than 12 passengers for hire if MARAD, after notice and an 
opportunity for public comment, determines the use of the small 
passenger vessel in the coastwise trade will not adversely affect 
United States vessel builders or the coastwise trade business of any 
person that employs vessels built in the United States in that 
business.\1\
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    \1\ The U.S. Coast Guard and MARAD have authority under 46 
U.S.C. 12121(b) through the Secretary of the Department of Homeland 
Security and the Secretary of the Department of Transportation, 
respectively.
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    MARAD has received an eligibility determination request. Further 
details about the requester's vessel and its proposed operations may be 
found in the determination request posted in the DOT Docket Number 
listed in the ADDRESSES section above at https://www.regulations.gov. 
Interested parties may comment on the undue adverse effect this action 
may have on U.S. vessel builders or coastwise trade businesses in the 
U.S. that employ U.S.-built vessels in those businesses. Comments 
should refer to the vessel name, state the commenter's interest in the 
request, and demonstrate, with supporting documentation, the undue 
adverse effect on U.S. vessel builders and coastwise trade businesses.

Public Participation

How do I submit comments?

    Please submit comments, including the attachments, following the 
instructions provided under the above heading entitled ADDRESSES. It 
may take a few hours or even days for comments to be reflected on the 
docket. Comments must be written in English. Provide concise comments 
and attach additional documents as necessary. There is no limit on the 
length of the attachments.

Where do I go to read public comments, and find supporting information?

    The docket online is located at https://www.regulations.gov, 
keyword search the DOT Docket Number list in the ADDRESSES section 
above or visit the Docket Management Facility (see ADDRESSES for hours 
of operation). Please periodically check the Docket for new submissions 
and supporting material.

Will my comments be made available to the public?

    Yes. Your entire comment, including your personal identifying 
information, will be made publicly available.

[[Page 20571]]

May I submit comments confidentially?

    You may request that MARAD treat your comments as commercially 
confidential by submitting them to [email protected]. Include in the 
email subject heading ``Contains Confidential Commercial Information'' 
or ``Contains CCI'' and state in your submission, with specificity, the 
basis for any such confidential treatment highlighting the CCI 
portions. If possible, please provide a summary of your submission that 
can be made available to the public.
    If MARAD receives a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for 
the information, procedures described in the Department's FOIA 
regulation at 49 CFR 7.29 will be followed. Only information that is 
ultimately determined to be confidential under those procedures will be 
exempt from disclosure under FOIA.

Privacy Act

    Anyone can search the electronic form of all comments received into 
any of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment 
(or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, 
business, labor union, etc.). For information on DOT's compliance with 
the Privacy Act, please visit https://www.transportation.gov/privacy.

(Authority: 46 U.S.C. 12121, 49 CFR 1.93(a))

    By Order of the Maritime Administrator.
T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr.,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 2026-07340 Filed 4-15-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-81-P