Implementation of Training Requirements for Personnel Serving on U.S.-Flagged Passenger Ships That Carry More Than 12 Passengers on International Voyages

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY <SUBAGY>Coast Guard</SUBAGY> <CFR>46 CFR Parts 11 and 12</CFR> <DEPDOC>[Docket No. USCG-2022-0649]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 1625-AC68</RIN> <SUBJECT>Implementation of Training Requirements for Personnel Serving on U.S.-Flagged Passenger Ships That Carry More Than 12 Passengers on International Voyages</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Coast Guard, DHS. <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Notice of proposed rulemaking. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> The Coast Guard proposes to amend its merchant mariner training regulations to implement amendments to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, and the Seafarers' Training, Certification and Watchkeeping Code, to require personnel serving on U.S.-flagged passenger ships carrying more than 12 passengers on international voyages to complete passenger ship emergency familiarization. The proposed rule would expand the applicability of the existing crowd management training requirement to include specified ratings on passenger ships. These required trainings would promote the safety of life at sea. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> Comments and related material must be received by the Coast Guard on or before September 19, 2024. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-2022-0649 using the Federal Decision-Making Portal at <E T="03">www.regulations.gov.</E> See the “Public Participation and Request for Comments” portion of the <E T="02">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION</E> section for further instructions on submitting comments. <E T="03">Collection of information.</E> Submit comments on the collection of information discussed in section VII.D. of this preamble both to the Coast Guard's online docket and to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) in the White House Office of Management and Budget using their website <E T="03">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.</E> Comments sent to OIRA on the collection of information must reach OMB on or before the comment due date listed on their website. <E T="03">Viewing material proposed for incorporation by reference.</E> Make arrangements to view this material by calling the person identified in the <E T="02">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT</E> section of this document. <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> For information about this document, call or email Megan Johns Henry, Office of Merchant Mariner Credentialing (CG-MMC-1), Coast Guard; telephone 202-372-1255, email <E T="03">Megan.C.Johns@uscg.mil.</E> </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Table of Contents for Preamble</HD> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">I. Public Participation and Request for Comments</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">II. Abbreviations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">III. Executive Summary</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Purpose</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Legal Authority</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Summary of Major Provisions</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Costs and Benefits</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IV. Background</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">V. Discussion of Proposed Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VI. Incorporation by Reference</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VII. Regulatory Analyses</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Regulatory Planning and Review</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Small Entities</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Assistance for Small Entities</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Collection of Information</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Federalism</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Unfunded Mandates</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">G. Taking of Private Property</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">H. Civil Justice Reform</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">I. Protection of Children</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">J. Indian Tribal Governments</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">K. Energy Effects</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">L. Technical Standards</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">M. Environment</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">I. Public Participation and Request for Comments</HD> The Coast Guard views public participation as essential to effective rulemaking and will consider all comments and material received during the comment period. Your comments can help shape the outcome of this rulemaking. If you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this rulemaking, indicate the specific section of this document to which each comment applies, and provide a reason for each suggestion or recommendation. <E T="03">Submitting comments.</E> We encourage you to submit comments through the Federal Decision-Making Portal at <E T="03">www.regulations.gov.</E> To do so, go to <E T="03">www.regulations.gov,</E> type USCG-2022-0649 in the search box and click “Search.” Next, look for this document in the Search Results column, and click on it. Then click on the Comment option. If you cannot submit your material by using <E T="03">www.regulations.gov,</E> call or email the person in the <E T="02">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT</E> section of this proposed rule for alternate instructions. <E T="03">Viewing material in docket.</E> To view documents mentioned in this proposed rule as being available in the docket, find the docket as described in the previous paragraph, and then select “Supporting & Related Material” in the Document Type column. Public comments will also be placed in our online docket and can be viewed by following instructions on the <E T="03">www.regulations.gov</E> Frequently Asked Questions web page. That FAQ page also explains how to subscribe for email alerts that will notify you when comments are posted or if a final rule is published. We review all comments received, but we will only post comments that address the topic of the proposed rule. We may choose not to post off-topic, inappropriate, or duplicate comments that we receive. <E T="03">Personal Information.</E> We accept anonymous comments. All comments received will be posted without change to <E T="03">www.regulations.gov</E> and will include any personal information you have provided. For more about privacy and submissions to the docket in response to this document, see DHS's eRulemaking System of Records notice (85 FR 14226, March 11, 2020). We do not plan to hold a public meeting, but we will consider doing so if we determine from public comments that a meeting would be helpful. We would issue a separate <E T="04">Federal Register</E> notice to announce the date, time, and location of such a meeting. <HD SOURCE="HD1">II. Abbreviations</HD> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">BLS U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">BTS Bureau of Transportation Statistics</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CFR Code of Federal Regulations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CG-MMC Coast Guard Office of Merchant Mariner Credentialing</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CSS Code Code of Safe Practices for Cargo Stowage and Securing</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">DHS Department of Homeland Security</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">DOT Department of Transportation</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">GSA U.S. General Services Administration</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">HTW Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">IBR Incorporated by Reference</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">IMO International Maritime Organization</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">M&IE Meal and Incidental Expenses</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MISLE Marine Information for Safety and Law Enforcement</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MMC Merchant Mariner Credential</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MSC Maritime Safety Committee</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NAICS North American Industry Classification System</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">OMB Office of Management and Budget</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">POA Privately Owned Automobile</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PSC Port State Control</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">§ Section </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">SBA Small Business Administration</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">SME Subject matter expert</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">SOLAS International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">STCW Convention International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">STCW Code Seafarers' Training, Certification and Watchkeeping Code</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">U.S.C. United States Code</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">VSL Value of a Statistical Life</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">III. Executive Summary</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD2">A. Purpose</HD> The purpose of this proposed rule is to ensure the safety of passengers on board U.S.-flagged passenger ships by ensuring all shipboard personnel have completed training and are competent to assist passengers in the event of an emergency. As defined in title 46 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), in sections 11.1103 and 12.903, <SU>1</SU> <FTREF/> passenger ships are those ships carrying more than 12 passengers on an international voyage. <FTNT> <SU>1</SU>  The Coast Guard adopted these definitions from the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974, as amended, and codified them in the CFR. 78 FR 77796 (Dec. 24, 2013). See additional discussion on SOLAS in section IV, Background, of this document. </FTNT> The growing world-wide popularity of passenger ships as a vacation destination has resulted in the launching of consistently larger foreign-flagged ships and subsequent concerns over passenger safety. Passenger-ship travel requires passengers to be assured of their safety regardless of where the ship originates or where it sails. Typically, passengers are on board these ships for a short time and do not have maritime experience, so they rely on the ship's crew to assist them in emergency situations. It may be impossible for passengers to identify which crewmembers are trained to assist them in an emergency. Shipboard emergency situations could pose risks to life, health, and safety, as ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 201k characters. 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