[Federal Register: March 26, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 57)]
[Notices]
[Page 13219-13220]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26mr09-86]
[[Page 13219]]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket No. USCG-2008-1183]
Accounting of Recreational Boating Safety Projects, Programs and
Activities Funded Under Provisions of the Transportation Equity Act for
the 21st Century
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In 1999, the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century
made $5 million available to the Secretary of Homeland Security for
payment per year of Coast Guard expenses for personnel and activities
directly related to coordinating and carrying out the national
recreational boating safety program. In 2005, the law was amended and
the amount was increased to $5.5 million. The Coast Guard is publishing
this notice published to satisfy a requirement of the Act that a
detailed accounting of the projects, programs, and activities funded
under the national recreational boating safety program provision of the
Act be published annually in the Federal Register. In this notice, we
have specified the amount of monies the Coast Guard has committed,
obligated, or expended during fiscal year 2008, as of September 30,
2008.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff Ludwig, Regulations Development
Manager, telephone 202-372-1062, fax 202-372-1932.
Background and Purpose: The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st
Century became law on June 9, 1998 (Pub. L. 105-178; 112 Stat. 107).
The Act required that of the $5 million made available to carry out the
national recreational boating safety program each year, $2 million
shall be available only to ensure compliance with Chapter 43 of Title
46, U.S. Code--Recreational Vessels. On September 29, 2005, the
Sportfishing and Recreational Boating Safety Amendments Act of 2005 was
enacted (Pub. L. 109-74; 119 Stat. 2031). This Act increased the funds
available to the national recreational boating safety program from $5
million to $5.5 million annually, and stated that ``not less than'' $2
million shall be available only to ensure compliance with Chapter 43 of
Title 46, U.S. Code--Recreational Vessels.
The responsibility to administer these funds was delegated to the
Commandant of the United States Coast Guard. Subsection (c) of section
7405 of the Act directs that no funds available to the Secretary under
this subsection may be used to replace funding traditionally provided
through general appropriations, nor for any purposes except those
purposes authorized; namely, for personnel and activities directly
related to coordinating and carrying out the national recreational
boating safety program. Amounts made available each fiscal year from
1999 through 2008 shall remain available until expended.
Use of these funds requires compliance with standard Federal
contracting rules with associated lead and processing times resulting
in a lag time between available funds and spending. The total amount of
funding transferred to the Coast Guard from the Sport Fish Restoration
and Boating Trust Fund and committed, obligated, and/or expended during
fiscal year 2008 for each activity is shown below.
Factory Visit Program: Funding was provided to continue the
national recreational boat factory visit program, initiated in January
2001. The factory visit program currently allows contractor personnel,
acting on behalf of the Coast Guard, to visit 2,000 recreational boat
manufacturers each year to either inspect for compliance with Federal
regulations, communicate with the manufacturers as to why they need to
comply with Federal regulations, or educate them, as necessary, on how
to comply with Federal regulations. ($2,306,062).
Radar Reflective Gelcoat Testing: Funding was provided to Carderock
Naval Surface Warfare Center to test and evaluate a newly developed
coating that, when properly applied to fiberglass, should greatly
increase the radar reflectivity of the fiberglass. If the test results
prove positive, applying the radar reflective coating to fiberglass
recreational boats would greatly increase the ability to detect these
vessels using radar which would improve boating safety, would improve
the ability to find boats in distress, would improve navigability of
multiuse waterways, and would improve the ability to maintain security
zones. ($58,000).
New Recreational Boating Safety Associated Travel: Travel by
employees of the Boating Safety Division was performed to carry out
additional recreational boating safety actions and to gather background
and planning information for new recreational boating safety
initiatives. ($10,469).
Boating Accident News Clipping Service: Funding was provided to
continue to gather daily news stories of recreational boating accidents
nationally for more real time accident information and to identify
accidents that may involve regulatory non-compliances or safety
defects. ($34,100).
Accident Investigation Tiger Team: Funding was provided to continue
to provide on-call expert accident investigative services for any
boating accident that appeared to involve a regulatory non-compliance
or safety defect. ($104,120).
Web-Based Document Management System: Funding was provided to
continue to provide a Web-based document management system to better
enable the handling of thousands of recreational boating recall case
and campaign reports. ($54,078).
Recreational Boating Safety (RBS) Outreach Program: Funding was
provided for this program which provides full marketing, media, public
information, and program strategy support to the nation-wide RBS
effort. The goal is to coordinate the RBS outreach initiatives and
campaigns some of which include: National Boating Under the Influence
Campaign (BUI), ``You're in Command. Boat Responsibly!'', PFD Wear,
Vessel Safety Check Program (VSC), Boating Safety Education Courses,
Propeller Strike Avoidance, Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, and other
recreational boating safety issues on an as needed basis. ($865,875).
Boating Accident Report Database (BARD) Web System: BARD Web System
funding enables reporting authorities in the 50 States, five U.S.
Territories, and the District of Columbia to manage their accident
reports electronically over a secure Internet environment. The system
also enables the user community to generate statistical reports that
show the frequency, nature, and severity of boating accidents. FY 08
funds supported system maintenance, development, and technical
(hotline) support. ($462,586).
Personnel Support: Funding was provided for personnel to support
the development of new regulations, to support new contracting
activities associated with the additional funding, and to monitor and
manage the contracts awarded. ($689,521).
Reimbursable Salaries: Funding was provided to carry out the work
as prescribed in 46 U.S.C. 13106(c) and as described herein. The first
function was that of a professional mathematician/statistician to
conduct necessary national surveys and studies as well as to serve as a
liaison to other Federal agencies that are conducting boating surveys
so that we can pool our resources and reduce costs. The second function
was that of Outreach coordinator for special RBS campaigns with
responsibility of overseeing and
[[Page 13220]]
managing all RBS related projects in support of `surge campaigns' for
such elements as: Carbon monoxide poisoning, boating under the
influence of alcohol or drugs, operation BoatSmart, etc. ($274,696).
Of the $5.5 million made available to the Coast Guard in fiscal
year 2008, $2,854,920 has been committed, obligated, or expended and an
additional $2,004,587 of prior fiscal year funds have been committed,
obligated or expended, as of September 30, 2008. Approximately $8.8
million has not been committed, obligated, or expended from previous
years, and is being reserved for a multi-year national boating survey.
Publication of this notice in the Federal Register satisfies the
requirements of 46 U.S.C. 13107(c)(4). The Coast Guard has also
submitted a copy of this notice for publication on http://
www.Grants.gov.
Dated: March 11, 2009.
J.A. Watson,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Director of Prevention Policy.
[FR Doc. E9-6807 Filed 3-25-09; 8:45 am]
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