[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 49, Volume 5]
[Revised as of October 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 49CFR552.15]

[Page 132]
 
                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION
 
                            OF TRANSPORTATION
 
PART 552--PETITIONS FOR RULEMAKING, DEFECT, AND NONCOMPLIANCE ORDERS--Table of Contents
 
   Subpart B--Petitions for Expedited Rulemaking to Establish Dynamic 
 Automatic Suppression System Test Procedures for Federal Motor Vehicle 
           Safety Standard No. 208, Occupant Crash Protection
 
Sec. 552.15  Processing of petition.

    (a) NHTSA will process any petition that contains the information 
specified by this subpart. If a petition fails to provide any of the 
information, NHTSA will not process the petition but will advise the 
petitioner of the information that shall be provided if the agency is to 
process the petition. The agency will seek to notify the petitioner of 
any such deficiency within 30 days after receipt of the petition.
    (b) At any time during the agency's consideration of a petition 
submitted under this Part, the Administrator may request the petitioner 
to provide additional supporting information and data and/or provide a 
demonstration of any of the requested test procedures. The agency will 
seek to make any such request within 60 days after receipt of the 
petition. Such demonstration may be at either an agency designated 
facility or one chosen by the petitioner, provided that, in either case, 
the facility shall be located in North America. If such a request is not 
honored to the satisfaction of the agency, the petition will not receive 
further consideration until the requested information is submitted.
    (c) The agency will publish in the Federal Register either a Notice 
of Proposed Rulemaking proposing adoption of the requested test 
procedures, possibly with changes and/or additions, or a notice denying 
the petition. The agency will seek to issue either notice within 120 
days after receipt of a complete petition. However, this time period may 
be extended by any time period during which the agency is awaiting 
additional information it requests from the petitioner or is awaiting a 
requested demonstration. The agency contemplates a 30 to 60 day comment 
period for any Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and will endeavor to issue 
a final rule within 60 days thereafter.