Identity Security and Modernization of the Merchant Mariner Credential Statutes, 28947-28949 [05-9936]
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 96 / Thursday, May 19, 2005 / Notices
Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane,
Rockville, MD 20857, or the Office of
Communications, Training, and
Manufacturers Assistance (HFM–40),
Center for Biologics Evaluation and
Research, 1401 Rockville Pike, Food and
Drug Administration, Rockville, MD
20852–1448. Send one self-addressed
adhesive label to assist that office in
processing your requests. The guidance
may also be obtained by mail by calling
the Center for Biologics Evaluation and
Research at 1–800–835–4709 or 301–
827–1800. Submit written comments on
the guidance to the Division of Dockets
Management (HFA–305), Food and Drug
Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm.
1061, Rockville, MD 20852. Submit
electronic comments to https://
www.fda.gov/dockets/ecomments. See
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section
for electronic access to the guidance
document.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
For the Center for Drug Evaluation
and Research: Robert E. Osterberg,
Center for Drug Evaluation and
Research (HFD–520), Food and
Drug Administration, 5600 Fishers
Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, 301–
827–2120, or
For the Center for Biologics
Evaluation and Research: Mercedes
A. Serabian, Center for Biologics
Evaluation and Research (HFM–
760), Food and Drug
Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane,
Rockville, MD 20857, 301–827–
6536.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
FDA is announcing the availability of
a guidance for industry entitled
‘‘Nonclinical Studies for the Safety
Evaluation of Pharmaceutical
Excipients.’’ This guidance addresses
the safety testing of potential excipients
to be used in pharmaceutical products.
Not all excipients are inert substances;
some have been shown to be potential
toxicants. The Federal Food, Drug, and
Cosmetic Act of 1938 (the act) was
enacted after the tragedy of the elixir of
sulfanilamide in 1937 in which an
untested excipient was responsible for
the death of many children who
consumed the pharmaceutical. The act
required manufacturers to perform
safety testing of pharmaceuticals and
submit new drug applications (NDAs)
demonstrating safety before marketing.
Since that time, the agency has become
aware that certain other excipients used
in commerce can cause serious
toxicities in consumers of prescription
and over-the-counter (OTC) drug
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22:14 May 18, 2005
Jkt 205001
products in the United States and other
countries.
Some of the information used in
developing this guidance was obtained
during meetings involving the
International Pharmaceutical Excipients
Council, the United States
Pharmacopeia, and the International
Conference on Harmonisation. On
October 2, 2002 (67 FR 61910), FDA
announced the availability of a draft
version of this guidance entitled
‘‘Nonclinical Studies for Development
of Pharmaceutical Excipients.’’ A
number of comments were received, and
the agency considered them carefully as
it finalized the guidance.
This guidance describes the types of
toxicity data that the agency uses in
determining whether a potential new
excipient is safe for use in human
pharmaceuticals. It discusses
recommended safety evaluations for
excipients proposed for use in OTC and
generic drug products, and describes
testing strategies for pharmaceuticals
proposed for short-term, intermediate,
and long-term use. It also describes
recommended excipient toxicity testing
for pulmonary, injectable, and topical
pharmaceuticals.
This guidance is being issued
consistent with FDA’s good guidance
practices regulation (21 CFR 10.115).
The guidance represents the agency’s
current thinking on nonclinical studies
for the safety evaluation of
pharmaceutical excipients. It does not
create or confer any rights for or on any
person and does not operate to bind
FDA or the public. An alternative
approach may be used if such approach
satisfies the requirements of the
applicable statutes and regulations.
II. Comments
Interested persons may submit to the
Division of Dockets Management (see
ADDRESSES) written or electronic
comments on the guidance at any time.
Submit a single copy of electronic
comments or two paper copies of mailed
comments, except that individuals may
submit one paper copy. Comments are
to be identified with the docket number
found in brackets in the heading of this
document. The guidance and received
comments are available for public
examination in the Division of Dockets
Management between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.,
Monday through Friday.
III. Electronic Access
Persons with access to the Internet
may obtain the document at https://
www.fda.gov/cder/guidance/index.htm,
https://www.fda.gov/cber/
guidelines.htm, or https://www.fda.gov/
ohrms/dockets/default.htm.
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28947
Dated: May 12, 2005.
Jeffrey Shuren,
Assistant Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 05–9957 Filed 5–18–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160–01–S
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
Coast Guard
[USCG–2005–21187]
Identity Security and Modernization of
the Merchant Mariner Credential
Statutes
Coast Guard, DHS.
Notice of public meeting and
request for comments.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Coast Guard believes that
identity verification is a critical element
of port security, recognizing that we
must know and trust those who are
provided unescorted access to our port
facilities and vessels. The Coast Guard
will hold a public meeting to accept
comments concerning the President’s
proposal to implement the
recommendations of the 9/11
Commission Report in the area of
Merchant Mariner Credentials and to
modernize these statutes (hereinafter
referred to as ‘‘the proposal’’). The
proposal may be viewed in the docket
for this notice. The Coast Guard also
seeks written comments on the
proposal.
The public meeting will be held
on Friday, June 17, 2005, from 9 a.m. to
5 p.m. This meeting may close early if
all business is finished. Members of the
public who desire to make an oral
statement may sign up on the day of the
meeting. Written comments and related
material must reach the Docket
Management Facility on or before June
29, 2005.
ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be
held in the Gallery Ballroom of the
Arlington Hilton Hotel, 950 North
Stafford Street, Arlington, VA 22203.
Further directions regarding the location
of the Arlington Hilton may be obtained
by phoning (703) 528–6000.
You may submit written comments
identified by Coast Guard docket
number USCG–2005–21187 to the
Docket Management Facility at the U.S.
Department of Transportation. To avoid
duplication, please use only one of the
following methods:
(1) Web Site: https://dms.dot.gov.
(2) Mail: Docket Management Facility,
U.S. Department of Transportation, 400
Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC
20590–0001.
DATES:
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 96 / Thursday, May 19, 2005 / Notices
(3) Fax: 202–493–2251.
(4) Delivery: Room PL–401 on the
Plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400
Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC,
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
The telephone number is 202–366–
9329.
(5) Federal e-Rulemaking Portal:
https://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If
you have questions on this notice, call
or e-mail mark Gould of the Coast Guard
at (202) 267–6890
(mgould@comdt.uscg.mil) or Gerald
Miante of the Coast Guard at (202) 267–
0221 (gmiante@comdt.uscg.mil). If you
have questions on viewing or submitting
materials to the docket, call Andrea M.
Jenkins, Program Manager, Dockets
Operations, telephone 202–366–0271.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We
encourage you to submit comments
concerning identity security and
modernization of the Merchant Mariner
Credential Statutes in the five areas
identified below under Agenda. All
comments received will be posted,
without change, to https://
www.dms.dot.gov and will include any
personal information you have
provided. We have an agreement with
the Department of Transportation (DOT)
to use the Docket Management Facility.
Please see DOT’s ‘‘Privacy Act’’
paragraph below.
Submitting comments: If you submit a
comment, please include your name and
address, identify the docket number for
this rulemaking (USCG–2005–21187),
indicate the specific provision of the
proposal to which each comment
applies, and give the reason for each
comment. You may submit your
comments and material by electronic
means, mail, fax, or delivery to the
Docket Management Facility at the
address under ADDRESSES; but please
submit your comments and material by
only one means. If you submit them by
mail or delivery, submit them in an
unbound format, no larger than 81⁄2 by
11 inches, suitable for copying and
electronic filing. If you submit them by
mail and would like to know that they
reached the Facility, please enclose a
stamped, self-addressed postcard or
envelope. We will consider all
comments received during the comment
period.
Viewing comments and documents:
To view the proposal, comments, or any
other documents mentioned elsewhere
in this notice as being available in the
docket, go to https://dms.dot.gov at any
time and conduct a simple search using
the docket number. You may also visit
the Docket Management Facility in
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22:14 May 18, 2005
Jkt 205001
room PL–401 on the Plaza level of the
Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street
SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m.
and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays.
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.). You may
review the Department of
Transportation’s Privacy Act Statement
in the Federal Register published on
April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477), or you
may visit https://dms.dot.gov.
Agenda of meeting on June 17, 2005:
Under current law, merchant mariners’
documents issued by the Coast Guard
serve as a form of government issued
identification. Yet, some of these
credentials contain limited identifying
information and are relatively easy to
forge. The President’s proposal to
implement the recommendations of the
9/11 Commission Report in the area of
Merchant Mariner Credentials
represents an update and rationalization
of the Coast Guard’s antiquated mariner
credentialing and suspension and
revocation authorities. It takes into
account the findings and
recommendations of the 9/11
Commission Regarding the importance
of preventing terrorists from obtaining,
and using, government identification
cards. It is an important component of
the Coast Guard’s effort to instill a
culture of security within a system
previously focused almost exclusively
on safety efficiency.
This proposal also enhances the Coast
Guard’s ability to be flexible and agile
in establishing appropriate criteria and
processes for issuing merchant mariner
credentials and in recovering them from
unqualified holders or those who
present a significant security risk. This
public meeting is intended to collect
comments from any interested person or
organization on the President’s proposal
(which may be viewed in the docket for
this notice).
After a short introduction, the public
will be invited to provide oral
comments in the following topic areas:
1. Homeland Security—The 9/11
Commission found that terrorists used
government-issued identification to
facilitate their attacks upon the United
States. The Commission recommended
that the security of such forms of
identification be enhanced. Congress
responded by enacting laws requiring
that security be considered by
credentialing agencies, for example, the
Maritime Transportation Security Act,
Section 102 (46 U.S.C. 70105) and the
PO 00000
Frm 00048
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Coast Guard and Maritime
Transportation Act, Section 407 (46
U.S.C. 7703). This proposal continues to
apply those existing authorities in the
reorganized new chapters while
providing flexibility to respond to
developing security threats.
2. Modernization—The existing
statutes contain numerous outdated,
obsolete and confusing provisions, for
example, in § 7313 the ‘‘coal passer’’
rating and in § 7306 six separate
classifications of ‘‘able seaman’’. The
proposal eliminates this antiquated and
redundant terminology and improves
the Coast Guard’s ability to administer
the credentialing statutes for the benefit
of mariners. As the industry evolves, the
proposal will allow us to respond with
appropriate training and qualification
requirements for mariners in the future.
3. Organization—The proposal
replaces the current five chapters of
Title 46, which randomly intermingle
credentialing requirements, with two
chapters, one on issuance and one on
suspension and revocation of
credentials. We believe this will be
easier for mariners and other users of
the code to understand and apply, as
well as easier for the Coast Guard to
administer.
4. Clarification—With limited
exceptions, the proposal does not make
substantive changes. It mostly clarifies
existing law. At first glance, because of
the comprehensive nature of the
proposal, the language appears to
change much. However, on closer
reading, it is clear that the existing
authorities are unchanged. For example,
at first reading the proposal may appear
to eliminate licenses and merchant
mariner documents (MMDs) replacing
them with ‘‘merchant mariner
credentials’’. In fact, however, the
proposal defines ‘‘merchant mariner
credentials’’ to include both licenses
and MMDs thereby preserving the Coast
Guard’s authority to continue issuing
both while adding the flexibility to
integrate these documents with the
Transportation Workers Identification
Credential (TWIC) and other future,
secure-credentialing efforts. The Coast
Guard did not intend to alter or affect
the rights, benefits or duties of any
credentialed merchant mariner. Instead,
the proposal is intended to clarify,
consolidate, add flexibility and increase
the effectiveness of the statute. We do
not anticipate, or plan to, make any
immediate changes to the existing
credentials or the regulations,
procedures and processes governing
merchant mariner credentialing based
on the proposal. The Coast Guard will
continue working with mariners,
industry and the public to improve the
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 96 / Thursday, May 19, 2005 / Notices
administration of the merchant mariner
credentialing program.
5. Harmonization—Organizations
such as the International Maritime
Organization (IMO) have undertaken
comprehensive efforts concerning safety
and security in the maritime arena.
These efforts include the Standards of
Training, Certification and
Watchkeeping (STCW), and the
International Ship and Port Facility
Security Code (ISPS). Many of these
initiatives have been spearheaded by the
United States. The proposal seeks to
harmonize the credentialing statutes
with these efforts and improve our
ability to implement both ongoing and
future standards.
Procedural: This meeting is open to
the public. Please note that the meeting
may close early if all business is
finished. The facilitator of the meeting
has the discretion to limit the amount of
time allocated to each commenter based
on the total number of persons
requesting to make oral comments.
Information on services for
individuals with disabilities: For
information on facilities or services for
individuals with disabilities or to
request special assistance at the
meeting, contact Mr. Gould as soon as
possible.
Dated: May 6, 2005.
Howard L. Hime,
Acting Director of Standards, Marine Safety,
Security and Environmental Protection.
[FR Doc. 05–9936 Filed 5–18–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–15–M
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR–4922–N–08]
Privacy Act of 1974; Notice of a
Computer Matching Program
Office of the Chief Information
Officer, HUD.
ACTION: Notice of a computer matching
program—HUD and the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA).
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: In accordance with the
Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as
amended by the Computer Matching
and Privacy Protection Act of 1988, as
amended, (Pub. L. 100–503), and the
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) Guidelines on the Conduct of
Matching Programs (54 FR 25818; June
19, 1989), and OMB Bulletin 89–22,
‘‘Instructions on Reporting Computer
Matching Programs to the Office of
Management (OMB), Congress and the
Public,’’ HUD is issuing a public notice
of its intent to conduct a recurring
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22:14 May 18, 2005
Jkt 205001
computer matching program with the
USDA to utilize a computer information
system of HUD, the Credit Alert
Interactive Voice Response System
(CAIVRS), with USDA’s debtor files. In
addition to HUD’s data, the CAIVRS
database includes delinquent debt
information from the Departments of
Education, Veterans Affairs, Justice and
the Small Business Administration. This
match will allow prescreening of
applicants for debts owed or loans
guaranteed by the Federal government
to ascertain if the applicant is
delinquent in paying a debt owed to or
insured by the Federal government for
HUD or USDA direct or guaranteed
loans.
Before granting a loan, the lending
agency and/or the authorized lending
institution will be able to interrogate the
CAIVRS debtor file which contains the
Social Security Numbers (SSNs) of
HUD’s delinquent debtors and
defaulters and defaulted debtor records
of the USDA and verify that the loan
applicant is not in default or delinquent
on direct or guaranteed loans of
participating Federal programs of either
agency. As a result of the information
produced by this match, the authorized
users may not deny, terminate, or make
a final decision of any loan assistance to
an applicant or take other adverse action
against such applicant, until an officer
or employee of such agency has
independently verified such
information.
DATES: Effective Date: Computer
matching is expected to begin on June
20, 2005, unless comments are received
which will result in a contrary
determination, or 40 days from the date
a computer matching agreement is
signed, whichever is later.
Comments Due Date: June 20, 2005.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are
invited to submit comments regarding
this notice to the Rules Docket Clerk,
Office of General Counsel, Room 10276,
Department of Housing and Urban
Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20410.
Communications should refer to the
above docket number and title. A copy
of each communication submitted will
be available for public inspection and
copying between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
weekdays at the above address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
From Recipient Agency: Jeanette Smith,
Departmental Privacy Act Officer,
Department of Housing and Urban
Development, 451 7th Street, SW.,
Room P8202, Washington, DC 20410,
telephone number (202) 708–2374 or
FAX (202) 708–3135. (These are not tollfree numbers.)
PO 00000
Frm 00049
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
28949
From Source Agency: Joyce
Baumgartner, Debt/Credit Management
Coordinator, Department of Agriculture,
14th and Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20250, telephone
number (202) 720–1168. (This is not a
toll-free number.)
Reporting of Matching Program: In
accordance with Public Law 100–503,
the Computer Matching and Privacy
Protection Act of 1988, as amended, and
Office of Management and Budget
Bulletin 89–22, ‘‘Instructions on
Reporting Computer Matching Programs
to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB), Congress and the Public;’’
copies of this notice and report are
being provided to the Committee on
Government Reform of the House of
Representatives, the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs of the Senate, and the Office of
Management and Budget.
Authority: The matching program will
be conducted pursuant to Public Law
100–503, ‘‘The Computer Matching and
Privacy Protection Act of 1988,’’ as
amended, and Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) Circular A–129
(Revised January 1993), Policies for
Federal Credit Programs and Non-Tax
Receivables. One of the purposes of all
Executive departments and agencies—
including HUD—is to implement
efficient management practices for
Federal credit programs. OMB Circular
A–129 was issued under the authority of
the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921,
as amended; the Budget and Accounting
Act of 1950, as amended; the Debt
Collection Act of 1982, as amended;
and, the Deficit Reduction Act of 1984,
as amended.
Objectives To Be Met By The
Matching Program: The matching
program will allow USDA access to a
system which permits prescreening of
applicants for loans owed or guaranteed
by the federal government to ascertain if
the applicant is delinquent in paying a
debt owed to or insured by the
Government. In addition, HUD will be
provided access to USDA debtor data for
prescreening purposes.
Records To Be Matched: HUD will
utilize its system of records entitled
HUD/DEPT–2,
Accounting Records. The debtor files
for HUD programs involved are
included in this system of records.
HUD’s debtor files contain information
on borrowers and co-borrowers who are
currently in default) at least 90 days
delinquent on their loans); or who have
any outstanding claims paid during the
last three years on Title II insured or
guaranteed home mortgage loans; or
individuals who have defaulted on
Section 312 rehabilitation loans; or
E:\FR\FM\19MYN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 96 (Thursday, May 19, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28947-28949]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-9936]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[USCG-2005-21187]
Identity Security and Modernization of the Merchant Mariner
Credential Statutes
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Coast Guard believes that identity verification is a
critical element of port security, recognizing that we must know and
trust those who are provided unescorted access to our port facilities
and vessels. The Coast Guard will hold a public meeting to accept
comments concerning the President's proposal to implement the
recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Report in the area of Merchant
Mariner Credentials and to modernize these statutes (hereinafter
referred to as ``the proposal''). The proposal may be viewed in the
docket for this notice. The Coast Guard also seeks written comments on
the proposal.
DATES: The public meeting will be held on Friday, June 17, 2005, from 9
a.m. to 5 p.m. This meeting may close early if all business is
finished. Members of the public who desire to make an oral statement
may sign up on the day of the meeting. Written comments and related
material must reach the Docket Management Facility on or before June
29, 2005.
ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in the Gallery Ballroom of
the Arlington Hilton Hotel, 950 North Stafford Street, Arlington, VA
22203. Further directions regarding the location of the Arlington
Hilton may be obtained by phoning (703) 528-6000.
You may submit written comments identified by Coast Guard docket
number USCG-2005-21187 to the Docket Management Facility at the U.S.
Department of Transportation. To avoid duplication, please use only one
of the following methods:
(1) Web Site: https://dms.dot.gov.
(2) Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
[[Page 28948]]
(3) Fax: 202-493-2251.
(4) Delivery: Room PL-401 on the Plaza level of the Nassif
Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone
number is 202-366-9329.
(5) Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice,
call or e-mail mark Gould of the Coast Guard at (202) 267-6890
(mgould@comdt.uscg.mil) or Gerald Miante of the Coast Guard at (202)
267-0221 (gmiante@comdt.uscg.mil). If you have questions on viewing or
submitting materials to the docket, call Andrea M. Jenkins, Program
Manager, Dockets Operations, telephone 202-366-0271.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We encourage you to submit comments
concerning identity security and modernization of the Merchant Mariner
Credential Statutes in the five areas identified below under Agenda.
All comments received will be posted, without change, to https://
www.dms.dot.gov and will include any personal information you have
provided. We have an agreement with the Department of Transportation
(DOT) to use the Docket Management Facility. Please see DOT's ``Privacy
Act'' paragraph below.
Submitting comments: If you submit a comment, please include your
name and address, identify the docket number for this rulemaking (USCG-
2005-21187), indicate the specific provision of the proposal to which
each comment applies, and give the reason for each comment. You may
submit your comments and material by electronic means, mail, fax, or
delivery to the Docket Management Facility at the address under
ADDRESSES; but please submit your comments and material by only one
means. If you submit them by mail or delivery, submit them in an
unbound format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, suitable for
copying and electronic filing. If you submit them by mail and would
like to know that they reached the Facility, please enclose a stamped,
self-addressed postcard or envelope. We will consider all comments
received during the comment period.
Viewing comments and documents: To view the proposal, comments, or
any other documents mentioned elsewhere in this notice as being
available in the docket, go to https://dms.dot.gov at any time and
conduct a simple search using the docket number. You may also visit the
Docket Management Facility in room PL-401 on the Plaza level of the
Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m.
and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
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.). You may review the
Department of Transportation's Privacy Act Statement in the Federal
Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477), or you may visit
https://dms.dot.gov.
Agenda of meeting on June 17, 2005: Under current law, merchant
mariners' documents issued by the Coast Guard serve as a form of
government issued identification. Yet, some of these credentials
contain limited identifying information and are relatively easy to
forge. The President's proposal to implement the recommendations of the
9/11 Commission Report in the area of Merchant Mariner Credentials
represents an update and rationalization of the Coast Guard's
antiquated mariner credentialing and suspension and revocation
authorities. It takes into account the findings and recommendations of
the 9/11 Commission Regarding the importance of preventing terrorists
from obtaining, and using, government identification cards. It is an
important component of the Coast Guard's effort to instill a culture of
security within a system previously focused almost exclusively on
safety efficiency.
This proposal also enhances the Coast Guard's ability to be
flexible and agile in establishing appropriate criteria and processes
for issuing merchant mariner credentials and in recovering them from
unqualified holders or those who present a significant security risk.
This public meeting is intended to collect comments from any interested
person or organization on the President's proposal (which may be viewed
in the docket for this notice).
After a short introduction, the public will be invited to provide
oral comments in the following topic areas:
1. Homeland Security--The 9/11 Commission found that terrorists
used government-issued identification to facilitate their attacks upon
the United States. The Commission recommended that the security of such
forms of identification be enhanced. Congress responded by enacting
laws requiring that security be considered by credentialing agencies,
for example, the Maritime Transportation Security Act, Section 102 (46
U.S.C. 70105) and the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act,
Section 407 (46 U.S.C. 7703). This proposal continues to apply those
existing authorities in the reorganized new chapters while providing
flexibility to respond to developing security threats.
2. Modernization--The existing statutes contain numerous outdated,
obsolete and confusing provisions, for example, in Sec. 7313 the
``coal passer'' rating and in Sec. 7306 six separate classifications
of ``able seaman''. The proposal eliminates this antiquated and
redundant terminology and improves the Coast Guard's ability to
administer the credentialing statutes for the benefit of mariners. As
the industry evolves, the proposal will allow us to respond with
appropriate training and qualification requirements for mariners in the
future.
3. Organization--The proposal replaces the current five chapters of
Title 46, which randomly intermingle credentialing requirements, with
two chapters, one on issuance and one on suspension and revocation of
credentials. We believe this will be easier for mariners and other
users of the code to understand and apply, as well as easier for the
Coast Guard to administer.
4. Clarification--With limited exceptions, the proposal does not
make substantive changes. It mostly clarifies existing law. At first
glance, because of the comprehensive nature of the proposal, the
language appears to change much. However, on closer reading, it is
clear that the existing authorities are unchanged. For example, at
first reading the proposal may appear to eliminate licenses and
merchant mariner documents (MMDs) replacing them with ``merchant
mariner credentials''. In fact, however, the proposal defines
``merchant mariner credentials'' to include both licenses and MMDs
thereby preserving the Coast Guard's authority to continue issuing both
while adding the flexibility to integrate these documents with the
Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC) and other
future, secure-credentialing efforts. The Coast Guard did not intend to
alter or affect the rights, benefits or duties of any credentialed
merchant mariner. Instead, the proposal is intended to clarify,
consolidate, add flexibility and increase the effectiveness of the
statute. We do not anticipate, or plan to, make any immediate changes
to the existing credentials or the regulations, procedures and
processes governing merchant mariner credentialing based on the
proposal. The Coast Guard will continue working with mariners, industry
and the public to improve the
[[Page 28949]]
administration of the merchant mariner credentialing program.
5. Harmonization--Organizations such as the International Maritime
Organization (IMO) have undertaken comprehensive efforts concerning
safety and security in the maritime arena. These efforts include the
Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW), and the
International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS). Many of
these initiatives have been spearheaded by the United States. The
proposal seeks to harmonize the credentialing statutes with these
efforts and improve our ability to implement both ongoing and future
standards.
Procedural: This meeting is open to the public. Please note that
the meeting may close early if all business is finished. The
facilitator of the meeting has the discretion to limit the amount of
time allocated to each commenter based on the total number of persons
requesting to make oral comments.
Information on services for individuals with disabilities: For
information on facilities or services for individuals with disabilities
or to request special assistance at the meeting, contact Mr. Gould as
soon as possible.
Dated: May 6, 2005.
Howard L. Hime,
Acting Director of Standards, Marine Safety, Security and Environmental
Protection.
[FR Doc. 05-9936 Filed 5-18-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-15-M
