[Federal Register: March 22, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 54)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 14435]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22mr05-13]
[[Page 14435]]
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ARCHITECTURAL AND TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS COMPLIANCE BOARD
36 CFR Part 1195
[Docket Nos. 2004-1; 2004-2]
RIN 3014-AA11
Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Guidelines
for Passenger Vessels; Large Vessels; Small Vessels
AGENCY: Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board.
ACTION: Availability of Draft Guidelines; Advance Notice of Proposed
Rule; Extension of time to file comments.
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SUMMARY: The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board
(Access Board) has placed in the docket and on its website for public
review and comment draft guidelines which address accessibility to and
in passenger vessels which are permitted to carry more than 150
passengers or more than 49 overnight passengers. The Access Board has
also issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking which addresses
newly constructed or altered passenger vessels which carry 150 or fewer
passengers or 49 or fewer overnight passengers. This document extends
the deadline for comments on both the draft guidelines for large
vessels and the ANPRM for small vessels.
DATES: Comments on the draft guidelines and the ANPRM must be received
by July 28, 2005. Late comments will be considered to the extent
practicable.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to the Office of Technical and
Information Services, Architectural and Transportation Barriers
Compliance Board, 1331 F Street NW., suite 1000, Washington, DC 20004-
1111. E-mail comments should be sent to pvag@access-board.gov. Comments
sent by e-mail will be considered only if they contain the full name
and postal address of the sender in the text. Comments will be
available for inspection at the above address from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on
regular business days.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Beatty, Office of Technical and
Information Services, Architectural and Transportation Barriers
Compliance Board, 1331 F Street, NW., suite 1000, Washington DC 20004-
1111. Telephone number (202) 272-0012 (voice); (202) 272-0082 (TTY);
Electronic mail address: pvag@access-board.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Notice of Availability of Draft Guidelines for Large Vessels
On November 26, 2004, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers
Compliance Board (Access Board) issued a notice of availability of
draft guidelines. The draft guidelines address accessibility to and in
passenger vessels covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, which
are permitted to carry more than 150 passengers or more than 49
overnight passengers. (69 FR 69244; November 26, 2004). The notice of
availability and the draft guidelines along with supplementary
information have been placed in the rulemaking docket and on the
Board's Web site (http://www.access-board.gov/pvaac/noa.htm). The Board
is soliciting comments on the draft guidelines and will issue a notice
of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) following a review of comments received.
The notice of availability provided for a deadline of March 28, 2005
for comments to be submitted. This notice extends that deadline.
Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Small Vessels
Also on November 26, 2004, the Access Board published an Advance
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) in the Federal Register. (69 FR
69245; November 26, 2004). The ANPRM addresses the development of
accessibility guidelines for newly constructed or altered passenger
vessels covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, which carry 150
or fewer passengers or 49 or fewer overnight passengers. The ANPRM is
also on the Board's Web site at http://www.access-board.gov/pvaac/anprm.htm.
The Board requested comments on the ANPRM and provided for a
deadline of March 28, 2005. This notice extends that deadline.
Extension of Time for Filing Comments
The Board held a public hearing on the draft guidelines for large
vessels and the ANPRM for small vessels on January 10, 2005 in
Washington DC. At that time and since the notice of availability was
issued, the Board has received requests for an extension of the comment
period. Commenters have requested additional time to further review the
detailed guidelines and provide in-depth comments. As a result, the
Board has extended the time for filing comments by an additional four
months. It is also the Board's intention to hold two additional public
hearings. The location, date and time of the future hearings will be
announced in a subsequent Federal Register notice and on the Board's
Web site. The Board believes that the extension of time for comments
and the two additional hearings will give the public a better
opportunity to provide input on the Board's draft guidelines.
Regulatory Assessment
The Board has also drafted a plan for conducting a regulatory
assessment of the passenger vessels guidelines. The plan provides for
evaluating the potential impacts of the guidelines on new construction
of passenger vessels through case studies, and outlines some methods
for examining the impacts of the guidelines on alterations to passenger
vessels. The plan is available for public review on the Board's Web
site and the Board invites comment on the plan. (http://www.access-board.gov/pvaac/assess-plan.htm
).
Department of Transportation
The Department of Transportation (DOT) is conducting a separate
rulemaking to adopt the Access Board's guidelines as accessibility
standards for passenger vessels covered by the ADA. The DOT rulemaking
will also address operational issues related to passenger vessels. DOT
issued a separate Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) in the
Federal Register on November 26, 2004. (69 FR 69246; November 26,
2004).
Availability of Copies and Electronic Access
Single copies of the passenger vessels rulemaking (Availability of
Draft Guidelines, Draft Guidelines and Supplementary Information, Draft
Plan for Regulatory Assessment, and ANPRM on Access to and in Small
Passenger Vessels) may be obtained at no cost by calling the Access
Board's automated publications order line (202) 272-0080, by pressing 2
on the telephone keypad, then 1 and requesting publication S-45. Please
record your name, address, telephone number and publication code S-45.
Persons using a TTY should call (202) 272-0082. Documents are available
in alternate formats upon request. Persons who want a publication in an
alternate format should specify the type of format (cassette tape,
Braille, large print, or ASCII disk). Documents are also available on
the Board's Web site (http://www.access-board.gov).
Lawrence W. Roffee,
Executive Director, Architectural and Transportation Barriers
Compliance Board.
[FR Doc. 05-5636 Filed 3-22-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8150-01-P