2017-17694. Merchant Mariner Medical Advisory Committee

AGENCY:

U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security.

ACTION:

Notice of Federal Advisory Committee Meeting.

SUMMARY:

The Merchant Mariner Medical Advisory Committee and its Working Groups will meet to discuss matters relating to medical certification determinations for issuance of licenses, certificates of registry, and merchant mariners' documents, medical standards and guidelines for the physical qualifications of operators of commercial vessels, medical examiner education, and medical research. The meetings will be open to the public.

DATES:

The Merchant Mariner Medical Advisory Committee and its Working Groups are scheduled to meet on Tuesday, September 12, 2017, and Wednesday, September 13, 2017, from 8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Please note that these meetings may adjourn early if the Committee has completed its business.

ADDRESSES:

The meetings will be held at Seattle University, in the Bannan Auditorium, 901 12th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122-1090 (https://www.seattleu.edu/​).

For information on facilities or services for individuals with disabilities or to request special assistance at the meeting, contact the Alternate Designated Federal Officer as soon as possible using the contact information provided in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice.

Instructions: You are free to submit comments at any time, including orally at the meetings, but if you want Committee members to review your comment before the meetings, please submit your comments no later than September 6, 2017. We are particularly interested in comments on the issues in the “Agenda” section below. You must include “Department of Homeland Security” and the docket number USCG-2017-0767. Written comments may also be submitted using the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. If you encounter technical difficulties with comments submission, contact the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section below. Comments received will be posted without alteration at http://www.regulations.gov,, including any personal information provided. You may review the Privacy and Security Notice for the Federal Docket Management System at https://www.regulations.gov/​privacyNotice.

Docket Search: For access to the docket to read documents or comments related to this notice, go to http://www.regulations.gov,, type USCG-2017-0767 in the “Search” box, press Enter, and then click on the item you wish to view.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Lieutenant Junior Grade James Fortin, Alternate Designated Federal Officer of the Merchant Mariner Medical Advisory Committee, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE., Stop 7509, Washington, DC 20593-7509, telephone [phone], fax [phone] or [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Notice of this meeting is pursuant with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Title 5 United States Code Appendix.

The Merchant Mariner Medical Advisory Committee Meeting is authorized by section 210 of the U.S. Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-281, codified at 46 United States Code 7115). The Committee 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 September 12, 2017, meeting is as follows:

(1) Opening remarks from the Designated Federal Officer.

(2) Opening remarks from U.S. Coast Guard leadership.

(3) Roll call of Committee members and determination of a quorum.

(4) Public comment period.

(5) Working Groups will separately address the following task statements which are available for viewing at https://homeport.uscg.mil/​medmac.

(a) Task statement 15-13, Mariner Occupational Health Risk Study Analysis. This is a joint task statement with the Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee;

(b) Task statement 16-24, requesting recommendations on appropriate diets and wellness for mariners while aboard merchant vessels;

(c) Task statement 17-25, requesting recommendations on functions that would be useful to the mariner, ashore and afloat regarding their medical certification;

(d) Task statement 17-26, Input to Support Regulatory Reform of Coast Guard Regulations—Executive Orders 13771 and 13783.

(e) The Committee may receive new task statements from the U.S. Coast Guard, review the information presented on each issue, deliberate and formulate recommendations for the Department's consideration.

(7) Adjournment of meeting.

Day 2

The agenda for the September 13, 2017, meeting is as follows:

(1) Committee work update.

(2) Merchant Mariner Credentialing brief.

(3) National Maritime Center brief.

(4) Marine casualty data analysis presentation.

(5) Continue work on task statements.

(6) Public comment period.

(7) By mid-afternoon, the Working Groups will report, and if applicable, make recommendations for the full Committee to consider for presentation to the U.S. Coast Guard. The Committee may deliberate and vote on the Working Group's recommendations on this date. The public will have an opportunity to speak after each Working Group's Report before the full Committee takes any action on each report.

(8) Closing remarks/plans for next meeting.

(9) Adjournment of Meeting.

A public comment period will be held on September 12, 2017, from approximately 11:30 a.m.-12 p.m. and September 13, 2017, from approximately 2:15 p.m.-2:45 p.m.

A copy of all meeting documentation will be available at https://homeport.uscg.mil/​medmac no later than September 4, 2017. Alternatively, you may contact Lieutenant Junior Grade James Fortin as noted in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION section above.

Public comments will be limited to 5 minutes per speaker. Please note that the public comment periods will end following the last call for comments. Contact Lieutenant Junior Grade James Fortin as indicated in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document to register as a speaker.

Please note that the meeting may adjourn early if the work is completed.

Dated: August 15, 2017.

Jeffrey G. Lantz,

Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards.