2012-30747. Merchant Mariner Medical Advisory Committee: Intercessional Meeting

AGENCY:

Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION:

Notice of Federal Advisory Committee Working Group Meeting.

SUMMARY:

A working group of the Merchant Mariner Medical Advisory Committee (MEDMAC) will meet to discuss Task Statement 1, “Revision of Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC) 04-08.” The meeting will be open to the public.

DATES:

The working group will meet Tuesday, January 8 and Wednesday, January 9, 2013, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Please note that the meeting may close early if the working group has completed its business. Written comments to be distributed to working group members are due by December 28, 2012.

ADDRESSES:

The working group will meet at the Simulation, Training, Assessment, and Research (STAR) Center, Room 217, 2 West Dixie Highway, Dania Beach, FL 33004. For further information about the STAR Center hotel facilities or services for individuals with disabilities or to request special assistance, contact Mr. Graeme Holman at [phone] Ext. 7172. Please be advised that in order to gain access to the STAR Center, you must provide identification in the form of a government-issued picture identification card. If you plan to attend, please notify the individual listed in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, no later than December 28, 2012 so that administrative access into the STAR Center can be processed prior to arrival.

To facilitate public participation, we are inviting public comment on the issues to be considered by the working group as listed in the “Agenda” section below. Comments must be submitted in writing to the Coast Guard on or before December 28, 2012 and must be identified by USCG-2011-0138 and may be submitted by one of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments (preferred method to avoid delays in processing).
• Fax: [phone].
• Mail: Docket Management Facility (M-30), U.S. Department of Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
• Hand delivery: Same as mail address above, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays. The telephone number is 202-366-9329.

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 our public dockets in the January 17, 2008, issue of the Federal Register (73 FR 3316). Please provide an electronic copy to the contact listed in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT below no later than December 28, 2012. Your material will be placed on the MEDMAC Web site https://homeport.uscg.mil to be made available to the members of the working group and the public.

Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments related to this notice, go to http://www.regulations.gov.

A public comment period will be held on January 8, 2013, 8:15 a.m.-8:30 a.m., and January 9, 2013 4:30 p.m.-4:45 p.m. Speakers are requested to limit their comments to 5 minutes. Please note that the public comment period may end before the time indicated, following the last call for comments. Additionally, public comment will be sought throughout the meeting as specific issues are discussed by the working group.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Lieutenant Ashley Holm, the MEDMAC Alternate Designated Federal Officer (ADFO), at telephone [phone] or email [e-mail]. If you have any questions on viewing or submitting material to the docket, call Renee V. Wright, Program Manager, Docket Operations, telephone [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Notice of this meeting is given under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (Pub. L. 92-463). The MEDMAC is authorized by 46 U.S.C. 7115 as amended by section 210 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-281) and advises the Secretary on matters related to (a) Medical certification determinations for issuance of licenses, certificates of registry, and merchant mariners' documents; (b) medical standards and guidelines for the physical qualifications of operators of commercial vessels; (c) medical examiner education; and (d) medical research.

Agenda

Day 1

The agenda for the January 8, 2013, working group meeting is as follows:

(1) Opening comments by Working Group Chairman.

(2) Working Group addresses the following task statement:

Task Statement 1, Revision of Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC) 04-08. The NVIC can be found at http://www.uscg.mil/​hq/​cg5/​nvic/​ Medical and Physical Guidelines for Merchant Mariner Credentials. The working group will continue to review Enclosures 6 (Medical Review Process, 4 (Medications), and 3 (Medical Conditions Subject to Further Review) of NVIC 04-08 with the goal to finish all work on the NVIC recommendations. The working group recommendations will be presented at the next full Committee meeting.

(3) Public comment period.

(4) Closing remarks.

Day 2

The agenda for the January 9, 2013, working group meeting is as follows:

(1) Continue work on Task Statement 1.

(2) Discuss and prepare final draft recommendations for the full committee to consider.

(3) Public comment period.

(4) Closing remarks/plans for next meeting.

Dated: December 14, 2012.

P.F. Thomas,

Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Director of Inspections and Compliance.