[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 154 (Tuesday, August 11, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 42801-42802]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-21491]
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FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION
46 CFR Part 514
[Docket No. 98-10]
Inquiry into Automated Tariff Filing Systems as Proposed by the
Pending Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1998
AGENCY: Federal Maritime Commission.
ACTION: Notice of inquiry; Extension of time.
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SUMMARY: Upon consideration of a request from counsel for various
carrier agreements and ocean common carriers a limited extension of
time to comment on the Notice of Inquiry in this matter is granted.
DATES: Comments due on or before August 25, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Send comments (original and 20 copies) to: Joseph C.
Polking, Secretary, Federal Maritime Commission, 800 North Capitol
Street, NW, Washington DC 20573-0001, (202) 523-5725.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Bryant L. VanBrakle, Director, Bureau of Tariffs, Certification and
Licensing, Federal Maritime Commission, 800 North Capitol Street, NW,
Washington, DC 20573-0001, (202) 523-5796
Thomas Panebianco, General Counsel, Federal Maritime Commission, 800
North Capitol Street, NW, Washington, DC 20573-0001, (202) 523-5740.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission on July 9, 1998, (63 FR
37088) published a Notice of Inquiry (``NOI'') to help determine an
approach that will produce automated tariff publication systems and
service contract filings that best comport with the directives of S.
414, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1998, and its legislative
history. The Commission directed comments to be filed by August 10,
1998, recognizing that S. 414 was awaiting action in the House of
Representatives and that passage there before adjournment could leave a
very short time period to adopt final implementing rules by the March
1, 1999, deadline contained in S. 414.
Counsel for numerous carrier agreements and ocean common carriers
now have requested a 30-day extension of the comment period to
September 11, 1998. As justification therefore counsel refer to the
fact that S. 414 has not yet been passed by the House and it would be
``premature and speculative to offer comments on how it should be
implemented.'' Counsel further suggest that because of the uncertainty
of the legislative process they have been ``reluctant to devote much
time'' to the matter and ``have not had an opportunity to meet and
discuss these issues.''
The Commission, in establishing the August 10 comment deadline,
recognized that enactment of S. 414 in its current form was not a
certainty, but nevertheless determined that time constraints required
that the NOI go forward. Nothing has changed in this regard although
the House of Representatives on August 4 passed a slightly modified
version of S. 414. Given the S. 414 time constraints, the Commission
must continue to proceed expeditiously and cannot accommodate a 30-day
extension request. Nevertheless, a 15-day extension to August 25, 1998,
will be granted in the interest of maximizing public participation in
the NOI. The demands inherent in meeting the proposed statutory
timetable may preclude comments received after that date from
[[Page 42802]]
being considered in the preparation of a proposed rule.
Joseph C. Polking,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-21491 Filed 8-10-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6730-01-M
