[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 94 (Thursday, May 15, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 26894]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-12757]
[[Page 26893]]
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Part IV
Department of Transportation
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Federal Aviation Administration
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14 CFR Chapter I
Review of Existing Rules; Proposed Rule
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 94 / Thursday, May 15, 1997 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 26894]]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Chapter I
[Docket No. 28910]
Review of Existing Rules
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Review of regulations; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: This notice requests that the pubic identify those regulations
currently in effect which it believes should be amended, eliminated, or
simplified. This action is based on Presidential recommendations that
the FAA perform regulatory reviews consistent with its statutory
authority and public interest responsibilities. Comments will assist
the agency in conducting these reviews and in determining the direction
of resulting actions. Also, based upon recommendations stemming from
the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security, the FAA
requests the public to forward specific examples of where the agency
should develop rules that are performance-based rather than
prescriptive, and provide any suggestions on specific plain-English
language that might be used to rewrite them.
DATES: Comments should be submitted on or before August 13, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be mailed in triplicate to: Federal Aviation
Administration, Office of Chief Counsel, Attention: Rules docket (AGC-
200), Docket No. 28910 800 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC.,
20591, or faxed to (202) 267-5075. Comments also may be submitted via
the Internet to 9-nprm-cmts@faa.dot.gov. Comments may be examined in
room 915G weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. except on Federal
holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gerri Robinson (ARM-24), Office of
Rulemaking, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Ave. SW.,
Washington, DC 20591; telephone (202) 267-9678.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In recent years, the FAA conducted several
regulatory reviews: In his 1992 State of the Union address, then-
President Bush called for a 90-day moratorium and review of federal
regulations, and the FAA responded by soliciting public comments on its
regulatory programs as part of an overall review (57 FR 4744, Feb. 7,
1992). Based on comments received, the agency revised its regulatory
agenda accordingly. In 1994, responding to recommendations from the
National Commission to Ensure a Strong Competitive Airline Industry and
the Vice President's National Performance Review, and acting on
Department of Transportation (DOT) and FAA regulatory initiatives, the
FAA initiated a regulatory review to reduce regulatory burdens and
sought public comments (59 FR 1362, Jan. 10, 1994). As a result, the
FAA revised its regulatory agenda and priorities accordingly, and
proposed a Regulatory Review Program by seeking public input every
three years (60 FR 44142, Aug. 24, 1995). The agency later published a
disposition of the comments it received and made the determination to
continue the 3-year review cycle (61 FR 53610, Oct. 15, 1996). In
addition to the ongoing regulatory review program, the FAA is currently
in the process of responding to recommendations from the White House
Commission on Aviation Safety and Security that it simplify and, as
appropriate, rewrite its regulations in performance-based, plain-
English formats.
Three-Year Regulatory Review Program; Request for Comments
As part of its ongoing Regulatory Review Program, the FAA is
requesting that the public identify three regulations, in priority
order, that it believes should be amended or eliminated. The agency's
goal is to identify regulations which impose undue regulatory burdens,
are no longer necessary, or overlap, duplicate, or conflict with other
federal regulations. In addition, the FAA is also requesting the public
to identify unnecessary regulations that have a significant impact on
small entities. In order to focus on areas of greatest interest, and to
effectively manage agency resources, the FAA asks that commenters
responding to the three-year Regulatory Review Program limit their
input to three issues they consider most urgent, and to list them in
priority order. The FAA will review the issues addressed by the
Commenters against its regulatory agenda and rulemaking program efforts
and adjust its regulatory priorities consistent with its statutory
responsibilities. At the end of this process, the FAA will publish a
summary and general disposition of comments and indicate, where
appropriate, how its regulatory priorities will be adjusted.
White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security Recommendations;
Request for Public Comments
On February 12, 1997, the White House Commission on Aviation Safety
and Security, chaired by Vice President Al Gore, issued its final
report to President Clinton. One of the recommendations contained in
that report states ``The Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) should be
simplified and, as appropriate, rewritten as plain English,
performance-based regulations.'' The Commission believes that
government can achieve better regulatory compliance if its objectives
are stated clearly and its focus is on goals, not process. The public
is requested to provide any specific suggestions where rules could be
developed as performance-based rather than prescriptive, any specific
plain-English language that might be used, and provide suggested
language on how those rules should be written. These comments will
assist the agency in simplifying the FARs pursuant to recommendations
from the Commission.
Issued in Washington DC, on May 9, 1997.
Guy S. Gardner,
Associate Administration for Regulation and Certification, AVR-1.
[FR Doc. 97-12757 Filed 5-14-97; 8:45 am]
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