Lifejacket Approval Harmonization, 62546-62548 [2019-24836]

Download as PDF 62546 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 221 / Friday, November 15, 2019 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings Pursuant to section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, notice is hereby given of the following meetings. The meetings will be closed to the public in accordance with the provisions set forth in sections 552b(c)(4) and 552b(c)(6), Title 5 U.S.C., as amended. The grant applications and the discussions could disclose confidential trade secrets or commercial property such as patentable material, and personal information concerning individuals associated with the grant applications, the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. Name of Committee: Center for Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel; Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health. Date: November 22, 2019. Time: 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Agenda: To review and evaluate grant applications. Place: National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rock Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892 (Telephone Conference Call). Contact Person: Gabriel B. Fosu, Ph.D., Scientific Review Officer, Center for Scientific Review, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 3108, MSC 7808, Bethesda, MD 20892, (301) 435– 3562, fosug@csr.nih.gov. This notice is being published less than 15 days prior to the meeting due to the timing limitations imposed by the review and funding cycle. Name of Committee: Center for Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel; Member Conflict: Pulmonary Diseases. Date: December 2–3, 2019. Time: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Agenda: To review and evaluate grant applications. Place: National Institutes of Health, Rockledge II, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892 (Virtual Meeting). Contact Person: Bradley Nuss, Ph.D., Scientific Review Officer, Center for Scientific Review, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 4142, MSC7814, Bethesda, MD 20892, 301–451– 8754, nussb@csr.nih.gov. Name of Committee: Center for Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel; Member Conflict: AIDS and Related Research. Date: December 4–5, 2019. Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Agenda: To review and evaluate grant applications. Place: National Institutes of Health, Rockledge II, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892 (Virtual Meeting). Contact Person: Shalanda A. Bynum, Ph.D., Scientific Review Officer, Center for VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:58 Nov 14, 2019 Jkt 250001 Scientific Review, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 3206, Bethesda, MD 20892, 301–755–4355, bynumsa@csr.nih.gov. Name of Committee: Center for Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel; Member Conflict: Chronic Diseases and Epidemiology. Date: December 4, 2019. Time: 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Agenda: To review and evaluate grant applications. Place: National Institutes of Health, Rockledge II, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892 (Virtual Meeting). Contact Person: Chittari V. Shivakumar, Ph.D., Scientific Review Officer, National Institutes of Health, Center for Scientific Review, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, 301–408–9098, chittari.shivakumar@ nih.gov. Name of Committee: Center for Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel; Small Business: Drug Discovery and Delivery. Date: December 4, 2019. Time: 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Agenda: To review and evaluate grant applications. Place: National Institutes of Health, Rockledge II, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892 (Virtual Meeting). Contact Person: Robert C. Elliott, Ph.D., Scientific Review Officer, Center for Scientific Review, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 3130, MSC 7850, Bethesda, MD 20892, 301–435– 3009, elliotro@csr.nih.gov. Name of Committee: Center for Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel; Member Conflict: Privacy Medicine. Date: December 4, 2019. Time: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Agenda: To review and evaluate grant applications. Place: National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892 (Telephone Conference Call). Contact Person: Nitsa Rosenzweig, Ph.D., Scientific Review Officer, Center for Scientific Review, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 4152, MSC 7760, Bethesda, MD 20892, (301) 404– 7419, rosenzweign@csr.nih.gov. Name of Committee: Center for Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel; Immunology AREA Review. Date: December 4, 2019. Time: 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Agenda: To review and evaluate grant applications. Place: National Institutes of Health, Rockledge II, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892 (Virtual Meeting). Contact Person: Liying Guo, Ph.D., Scientific Review Officer, Center for Scientific Review, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 4016F, Bethesda, MD 20892, 301–435–0908, lguo@ mail.nih.gov. Name of Committee: Center for Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel; Member Conflict: Biological Chemistry and Macromolecular Biophysics. Date: December 4, 2019. Time: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Agenda: To review and evaluate grant applications. PO 00000 Frm 00045 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Place: National Institutes of Health, Rockledge II, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892 (Telephone Conference Call). Contact Person: Raymond Jacobson, Ph.D., Scientific Review Officer, Center for Scientific Review, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 5858, MSC 7849, Bethesda, MD 20892, 301–996– 7702, jacobsonrh@csr.nih.gov. Name of Committee: Center for Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel; PAR–18– 877: Early Stage Clinical Trials for the Spectrum of Alzheimer’s Disease and AgeRelated Cognitive Decline. Date: December 4, 2019. Time: 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Agenda: To review and evaluate grant applications. Place: National Institutes of Health, Rockledge II, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892 (Virtual Meeting). Contact Person: Unja Hayes, Ph.D., Scientific Review Officer, National Institutes of Health, Center for Scientific Review, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, 301– 827–6830, unja.hayes@nih.gov. (Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Nos. 93.306, Comparative Medicine; 93.333, Clinical Research, 93.306, 93.333, 93.337, 93.393–93.396, 93.837–93.844, 93.846–93.878, 93.892, 93.893, National Institutes of Health, HHS) Dated: November 7, 2019. Sylvia L. Neal, Program Analyst, Office of Federal Advisory Committee Policy. [FR Doc. 2019–24776 Filed 11–14–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4140–01–P DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard [Docket No. USCG–2018–0565] Lifejacket Approval Harmonization Coast Guard, DHS. Notice of availability. AGENCY: ACTION: The Coast Guard is finalizing the policy harmonizing personal flotation device (PFD) standards between the United States and Canada by accepting a new standard for approval of PFDs. As a result, PFD manufacturers can meet a single North American standard instead of separate standards for the United States and Canada. The standard is outlined in a policy letter with a supporting deregulatory savings analysis. This policy letter is intended to promote the Coast Guard’s maritime safety and stewardship missions. This policy does not affect existing PFD approvals and does not require any action on the part of boaters or mariners who have approved PFDs on board. SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\15NON1.SGM 15NON1 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 221 / Friday, November 15, 2019 / Notices Documents mentioned in this notice, and all public comments, are available in our online docket at https://www.regulations.gov, and can be viewed by following that website’s instructions. ADDRESSES: For information about this document call or email Jacqueline Yurkovich, Coast Guard; telephone 202–372–1389, email Jacqueline.M.Yurkovich@uscg.mil. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Background On August 17, 2018, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) published a Notice of Availability and Request for Comments (83 FR 41095) announcing that it was harmonizing PFD standards between the United States and Canada by accepting a new standard for approval of PFDs. The Coast Guard outlined the new standard in a draft policy letter with a supporting deregulatory savings analysis and made those documents available for public comment. The Coast Guard received input from six commenters. Discussion of Policy and Comments The Notice of Availability (83 FR 41095) summarizes the background of the policy letter. During the notice of availability comment period, the Coast Guard received input from six commenters, including mariners, the Life Jacket Association, the National Marine Manufacturers Association, and the Boat Owners Association of the United States. Below are summaries of, and our responses to, those comments. Four commenters supported the efforts to harmonize the PFD standards with ISO 12402. One commenter also stated that they supported and appreciated the policy language stating that lifejackets already approved would remain in compliance with the new policy. Some commenters also suggested that the Coast Guard should broaden the categories of buoyancy to specifically allow Level 50 and youth inflatable PFDs in appropriate conditions. While the Coast Guard will not include additional categories in this policy letter, we will take the suggestions of the commenters under consideration in a future rulemaking. One commenter stated that the Coast Guard should address potential confusion in the recreational boating community with regard to the new [policy] that ‘‘Adult devices that cannot meet the requirements of Level 70 with inherent buoyancy alone must be marked ‘Approval conditions state that this device must be worn to be counted VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:58 Nov 14, 2019 Jkt 250001 as equipment required by vessels meeting Transport Canada or USCG regulations.’ ’’ 1 As the Coast Guard accepts alternatives to the markings of inflatable PFDs, the commenter urged that consideration should also be given to adding markings that users need to test or inflate the devices regularly in order to be approved for use. The commenter stated that adding markings requiring inflatable PFD testing would be in keeping with current Coast Guard practices, such as those for PFD lights where alkaline batteries must be changed annually for devices to maintain their approval. The commenter concluded that, to this end, the USCG and Transport Canada should consider requiring inflatable PFD manufacturers to add inspection tags, similar to fire extinguisher inspection tags, to their PFDs where owners can record and be reminded of their periodic inspections and tests. Additionally, the commenter stated that the inflatable PFD age requirement of 16 should be lowered to age 13 to close the gap between the age requirement for wearing a PFD, located in 33 CFR 175.15 and the age range for an inflatable PFD because PFD options are more limited in the 13–16 age range. The Coast Guard acknowledges these concerns and suggestions and aims to address any potential confusion about the subject policy in this notice. With regard to adding new requirements that are not discussed in the new standard being accepted, such as for additional marking, testing, and inspection tags, these measures are outside of the scope of the policy letter that is the subject of this notice. These other measures may, however, be considered in future rulemaking. Similarly, the Coast Guard may consider the appropriateness of inflatable PFDs for wearers under 16 years of age in a future rulemaking. The Coast Guard also received comments about the deregulatory savings analysis. Specifically, one commenter said that the cost savings analysis projects various hypothetical savings for the manufacturing sector and the U.S. Government without regard for the end users of the equipment (e.g., boaters, their families, insurance companies, and community). The commenter also stated that deregulation proposed to benefit the manufacturers may overlook the intended purpose of life saving equipment and result in more costs to the boating public, the U.S. taxpayers, and the U.S. government. The commenter also suggested other modifications to law and policy that 1 Document number USCG–2018–0565–0008 at https://www.Regulations.gov under docket number USCG–2018–0565. PO 00000 Frm 00046 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 62547 might increase benefits in terms of lives saved—such as improving the rate of wear, improving visibility of PFDs at nighttime, and considering user size and weight. The Coast Guard acknowledges that this policy letter pertains to producers of lifejackets primarily. Some portion of the cost savings may be passed onto consumers by lowering the final purchase price of lifejackets for consumers; however, the Coast Guard has no data to indicate what share of the cost savings would be passed onto consumers. Additionally, the Coast Guard has no evidence that this policy would harm the boating public. The Coast Guard determined that the PFDs permitted by this policy letter provide equivalent performance to a PFD that meets the requirements of 46 CFR 160.064, 160.076, or 160.077–15. Further, were any share of the cost savings estimated here to be passed onto consumers, the safety of the boating public would be increased as lifejackets would be cheaper. However, the stated goal of the policy letter is harmonization via a single standard for manufacturers to meet. The Coast Guard will consider this commenter’s other suggestions for possible future action. The commenter also said that the international agreement should factor in tariffs, exchange rates, trade agreements, and currency valuations. It is not clear how such secondary impacts would affect harmonizing PFD standards between the United States and Canada and the commenter did not describe how such secondary impacts were relevant to this particular harmonization. Consequently, the Coast Guard does not believe these secondary impacts are relevant to this issue. The same commenter said that the lifejackets used in the United States and Canada are used in various water conditions and weather conditions impacting their effectiveness, and that the length of time that a boater has been in the water and the body of water the boater is rescued from all have different characteristics impacting the effectiveness of lifejackets. The commenter argued the maximum cost savings could be realized by ensuring that each and every boater who is on the water is properly equipped with the correct lifejackets because historically most drownings involve boaters without lifejackets. The Coast Guard considers such additional requirements to be outside the scope of this policy letter. Cost Savings Analysis Since the affected population and projected cost-savings estimates have E:\FR\FM\15NON1.SGM 15NON1 62548 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 221 / Friday, November 15, 2019 / Notices remained the same from when we published the deregulatory savings analysis in August 2018, we have retained the projected cost-saving estimates for this notice, which we present below. As stated in the aforementioned economic analysis, which is available in the public docket, we estimate the annual net cost savings to the U.S. industry to be $660,965 in 2016 dollars using a 7-percent discount rate over a 10-year period of analysis. We estimate the total discounted net cost savings to U.S. industry over a 10year period of analysis to be between $4.6 million and $5.7 million at 7- and 3-percent discount rates, respectively. We estimate the annual net cost savings to the U.S. government to be $8,571 per year over a 10-year period of analysis at a 7-percent discount rate. We estimate the total discounted net cost savings to the U.S. government to be between $60,000 and $73,000 at 7- and 3-percent discount rates, respectively. We also estimate an annual net cost savings to foreign manufacturers of $406,758 in 2016 dollars using a 7percent discount rate over a 10-year period of analysis. We estimate the total discounted net cost savings to foreign industry over a 10-year period of analysis to be between $2.9 million and $3.5 million at 7- and 3-percent discount rates, respectively. We estimate the costs to industry from this policy letter as a one-time switching cost between $40,000 and $41,000 at 7and 3-percent discount rates, respectively. Under a perpetual period of analysis, we estimate the total annualized cost savings of our policy letter to the U.S. economy to be $546,065 in 2016 dollars, using a 7-percent discount rate, and discounted back to 2016. This notice is issued under authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a). Dated: November 7, 2019. J.G. Lantz, Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards, U.S. Coast Guard. [FR Doc. 2019–24836 Filed 11–14–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 9110–04–P DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY U.S. Customs and Border Protection [1651–NEW] Agency Information Collection Activities: 321 E-Commerce Data Pilot U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Department of Homeland Security. AGENCY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:58 Nov 14, 2019 Jkt 250001 30-Day notice and request for comments; New collection of information. ACTION: The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). The information collection is published in the Federal Register to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies. DATES: Comments are encouraged and must be submitted no later than December 16, 2019 to be assured of consideration. ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on this proposed information collection to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget. Comments should be addressed to the OMB Desk Officer for Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security, and sent via electronic mail to dhsdeskofficer@ omb.eop.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional PRA information should be directed to Seth Renkema, Chief, Economic Impact Analysis Branch, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Trade, Regulations and Rulings, 90 K Street NE, 10th Floor, Washington, DC 20229–1177, Telephone number 202–325–0056 or via email CBP_PRA@cbp.dhs.gov. Please note that the contact information provided here is solely for questions regarding this notice. Individuals seeking information about other CBP programs should contact the CBP National Customer Service Center at 877–227–5511, (TTY) 1–800–877–8339, or CBP website at https://www.cbp .gov/. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: CBP invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on the proposed and/or continuing information collections pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). This proposed information collection was previously published in the Federal Register (84 FR 48363) on September 13, 2019, allowing for a 60day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.8. Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected agencies should address one or more of the following four points: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00047 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) suggestions to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) suggestions to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses. The comments that are submitted will be summarized and included in the request for approval. All comments will become a matter of public record. Overview of This Information Collection Title: 321 E-Commerce Data Pilot. OMB Number: 1651–NEW. Form number: N/A. Current Actions: This submission is being made to obtain an OMB control number for this Information Collection Request and to expand the respondent group of the recent 321 Data Pilot test notice on July 23, 2019 (84 FR 35405) which was limited to nine respondents. Type of Review: New. Affected Public: Businesses. Abstract: CBP faces significant challenges in targeting Section 321 shipments, while still maintaining the clearance speeds the private sector has come to expect. This is because CBP does not receive adequate advance information in order to effectively and efficiently assess the security risk of the approximately 1.8 million Section 321 shipments that arrive each day. This pilot is conducted pursuant to 19 CFR 101.9(a), which authorizes the Commissioner to impose requirements different from those specified in the CBP regulations for the purposes of conducting a test program or procedure designed to evaluate the effectiveness of new technology or operational procedures regarding the processing of passengers, vessels, or merchandise. In the e-commerce environment, traditionally regulated parties, such as carriers, are unlikely to possess all of the information relating to a shipment’s supply chain. While CBP receives some advance electronic data for Section 321 shipments from air, rail, and truck carriers (and certain other parties in limited circumstances) as mandated by current regulations, the transmitted data often does not adequately identify the E:\FR\FM\15NON1.SGM 15NON1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 221 (Friday, November 15, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62546-62548]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-24836]


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

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2018-0565]


Lifejacket Approval Harmonization

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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

SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is finalizing the policy harmonizing personal 
flotation device (PFD) standards between the United States and Canada 
by accepting a new standard for approval of PFDs. As a result, PFD 
manufacturers can meet a single North American standard instead of 
separate standards for the United States and Canada. The standard is 
outlined in a policy letter with a supporting deregulatory savings 
analysis. This policy letter is intended to promote the Coast Guard's 
maritime safety and stewardship missions. This policy does not affect 
existing PFD approvals and does not require any action on the part of 
boaters or mariners who have approved PFDs on board.

[[Page 62547]]


ADDRESSES: Documents mentioned in this notice, and all public comments, 
are available in our online docket at https://www.regulations.gov, and 
can be viewed by following that website's instructions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about this document 
call or email Jacqueline Yurkovich, Coast Guard; telephone 202-372-
1389, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On August 17, 2018, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) published 
a Notice of Availability and Request for Comments (83 FR 41095) 
announcing that it was harmonizing PFD standards between the United 
States and Canada by accepting a new standard for approval of PFDs. The 
Coast Guard outlined the new standard in a draft policy letter with a 
supporting deregulatory savings analysis and made those documents 
available for public comment. The Coast Guard received input from six 
commenters.

Discussion of Policy and Comments

    The Notice of Availability (83 FR 41095) summarizes the background 
of the policy letter.
    During the notice of availability comment period, the Coast Guard 
received input from six commenters, including mariners, the Life Jacket 
Association, the National Marine Manufacturers Association, and the 
Boat Owners Association of the United States. Below are summaries of, 
and our responses to, those comments.
    Four commenters supported the efforts to harmonize the PFD 
standards with ISO 12402. One commenter also stated that they supported 
and appreciated the policy language stating that lifejackets already 
approved would remain in compliance with the new policy. Some 
commenters also suggested that the Coast Guard should broaden the 
categories of buoyancy to specifically allow Level 50 and youth 
inflatable PFDs in appropriate conditions. While the Coast Guard will 
not include additional categories in this policy letter, we will take 
the suggestions of the commenters under consideration in a future 
rulemaking.
    One commenter stated that the Coast Guard should address potential 
confusion in the recreational boating community with regard to the new 
[policy] that ``Adult devices that cannot meet the requirements of 
Level 70 with inherent buoyancy alone must be marked `Approval 
conditions state that this device must be worn to be counted as 
equipment required by vessels meeting Transport Canada or USCG 
regulations.' '' \1\ As the Coast Guard accepts alternatives to the 
markings of inflatable PFDs, the commenter urged that consideration 
should also be given to adding markings that users need to test or 
inflate the devices regularly in order to be approved for use. The 
commenter stated that adding markings requiring inflatable PFD testing 
would be in keeping with current Coast Guard practices, such as those 
for PFD lights where alkaline batteries must be changed annually for 
devices to maintain their approval. The commenter concluded that, to 
this end, the USCG and Transport Canada should consider requiring 
inflatable PFD manufacturers to add inspection tags, similar to fire 
extinguisher inspection tags, to their PFDs where owners can record and 
be reminded of their periodic inspections and tests. Additionally, the 
commenter stated that the inflatable PFD age requirement of 16 should 
be lowered to age 13 to close the gap between the age requirement for 
wearing a PFD, located in 33 CFR 175.15 and the age range for an 
inflatable PFD because PFD options are more limited in the 13-16 age 
range. The Coast Guard acknowledges these concerns and suggestions and 
aims to address any potential confusion about the subject policy in 
this notice. With regard to adding new requirements that are not 
discussed in the new standard being accepted, such as for additional 
marking, testing, and inspection tags, these measures are outside of 
the scope of the policy letter that is the subject of this notice. 
These other measures may, however, be considered in future rulemaking. 
Similarly, the Coast Guard may consider the appropriateness of 
inflatable PFDs for wearers under 16 years of age in a future 
rulemaking.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Document number USCG-2018-0565-0008 at https://
www.Regulations.gov under docket number USCG-2018-0565.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Coast Guard also received comments about the deregulatory 
savings analysis. Specifically, one commenter said that the cost 
savings analysis projects various hypothetical savings for the 
manufacturing sector and the U.S. Government without regard for the end 
users of the equipment (e.g., boaters, their families, insurance 
companies, and community). The commenter also stated that deregulation 
proposed to benefit the manufacturers may overlook the intended purpose 
of life saving equipment and result in more costs to the boating 
public, the U.S. taxpayers, and the U.S. government. The commenter also 
suggested other modifications to law and policy that might increase 
benefits in terms of lives saved--such as improving the rate of wear, 
improving visibility of PFDs at nighttime, and considering user size 
and weight.
    The Coast Guard acknowledges that this policy letter pertains to 
producers of lifejackets primarily. Some portion of the cost savings 
may be passed onto consumers by lowering the final purchase price of 
lifejackets for consumers; however, the Coast Guard has no data to 
indicate what share of the cost savings would be passed onto consumers. 
Additionally, the Coast Guard has no evidence that this policy would 
harm the boating public. The Coast Guard determined that the PFDs 
permitted by this policy letter provide equivalent performance to a PFD 
that meets the requirements of 46 CFR 160.064, 160.076, or 160.077-15. 
Further, were any share of the cost savings estimated here to be passed 
onto consumers, the safety of the boating public would be increased as 
lifejackets would be cheaper. However, the stated goal of the policy 
letter is harmonization via a single standard for manufacturers to 
meet. The Coast Guard will consider this commenter's other suggestions 
for possible future action.
    The commenter also said that the international agreement should 
factor in tariffs, exchange rates, trade agreements, and currency 
valuations. It is not clear how such secondary impacts would affect 
harmonizing PFD standards between the United States and Canada and the 
commenter did not describe how such secondary impacts were relevant to 
this particular harmonization. Consequently, the Coast Guard does not 
believe these secondary impacts are relevant to this issue.
    The same commenter said that the lifejackets used in the United 
States and Canada are used in various water conditions and weather 
conditions impacting their effectiveness, and that the length of time 
that a boater has been in the water and the body of water the boater is 
rescued from all have different characteristics impacting the 
effectiveness of lifejackets.
    The commenter argued the maximum cost savings could be realized by 
ensuring that each and every boater who is on the water is properly 
equipped with the correct lifejackets because historically most 
drownings involve boaters without lifejackets. The Coast Guard 
considers such additional requirements to be outside the scope of this 
policy letter.

Cost Savings Analysis

    Since the affected population and projected cost-savings estimates 
have

[[Page 62548]]

remained the same from when we published the deregulatory savings 
analysis in August 2018, we have retained the projected cost-saving 
estimates for this notice, which we present below. As stated in the 
aforementioned economic analysis, which is available in the public 
docket, we estimate the annual net cost savings to the U.S. industry to 
be $660,965 in 2016 dollars using a 7-percent discount rate over a 10-
year period of analysis. We estimate the total discounted net cost 
savings to U.S. industry over a 10-year period of analysis to be 
between $4.6 million and $5.7 million at 7- and 3-percent discount 
rates, respectively.
    We estimate the annual net cost savings to the U.S. government to 
be $8,571 per year over a 10-year period of analysis at a 7-percent 
discount rate. We estimate the total discounted net cost savings to the 
U.S. government to be between $60,000 and $73,000 at 7- and 3-percent 
discount rates, respectively.
    We also estimate an annual net cost savings to foreign 
manufacturers of $406,758 in 2016 dollars using a 7-percent discount 
rate over a 10-year period of analysis. We estimate the total 
discounted net cost savings to foreign industry over a 10-year period 
of analysis to be between $2.9 million and $3.5 million at 7- and 3-
percent discount rates, respectively.
    We estimate the costs to industry from this policy letter as a one-
time switching cost between $40,000 and $41,000 at 7- and 3-percent 
discount rates, respectively.
    Under a perpetual period of analysis, we estimate the total 
annualized cost savings of our policy letter to the U.S. economy to be 
$546,065 in 2016 dollars, using a 7-percent discount rate, and 
discounted back to 2016.
    This notice is issued under authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a).

    Dated: November 7, 2019.
J.G. Lantz,
Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards, U.S. Coast Guard.
[FR Doc. 2019-24836 Filed 11-14-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-04-P

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