
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 176 (Wednesday, September 13, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62809-62810]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-19760]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2023-0397]


National Towing Safety Advisory Committee; September 2023 
Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of Federal Advisory Committee meeting.

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SUMMARY: The National Towing Safety Advisory Committee (Committee) will 
conduct a series of meetings over two days in New Orleans, LA to review 
and discuss matters relating to shallow-draft inland navigation, 
coastal waterway navigation, and towing safety. These meetings will be 
open to the public.

DATES: 
    Meetings: National Towing Safety Advisory Committee will have 
subcommittee working sessions on Tuesday, September 26, 2023, from 8 
a.m. until 5 p.m. Central Daylight Time. The full Committee will meet 
on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. (CDT). 
Please note these meetings may close early if the Committee has 
completed its business.
    Comments and supporting documentation: To ensure your comments are 
received by Committee members before the meeting, submit your written 
comments no later than September 13, 2023.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Omni Riverfront Hotel, 701 
Convention Center Boulevard, New Orleans, LA 70130.
    The National Towing Safety Advisory Committee is committed to 
ensuring all participants have equal access regardless of disability 
status. If you require reasonable accommodation due to a disability to 
fully participate, please email Mr. Matthew D. Layman at 
[email protected] or call at 202-372-1421 as soon as possible.
    Instructions: You are free to submit comments at any time, 
including orally at the meetings as time permits, but if you want 
Committee members to review your comment before the meetings, please 
submit your comments no later than September 13, 2023. We are 
particularly interested in comments on

[[Page 62810]]

the topics in the ``Agenda'' section below. We encourage you to submit 
comments through Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov. If your material cannot be submitted using https://www.regulations.gov, email the individual in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document for alternate 
instructions. You must include the docket number USCG-2023-0397. 
Comments received will be posted without alteration at https://www.regulations.gov including any personal information provided. You 
may wish to review the Privacy and Security Notice found via a link on 
the homepage of https://www.regulations.gov, and DHS's eRulemaking 
System of Records notice (85 FR 14226, March 11, 2020). For more about 
privacy and submissions in response to this document, see DHS's 
eRulemaking System of Records notice (85 FR 14226, March 11, 2020). If 
you encounter technical difficulties with comment submission, contact 
the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of 
this notice.
    Docket Search: Documents mentioned in this notice as being 
available in the docket, and all public comments, will be in our online 
docket at https://www.regulations.gov, and can be viewed by following 
that website's instructions. Additionally, if you go to the online 
docket and sign-up for email alerts, you will be notified when comments 
are posted.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Matthew D. Layman, Designated 
Federal Officer of the National Towing Safety Advisory Committee, 2703 
Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE, Stop 7509, Washington, DC 20593-7509, 
telephone 202-372-1421, or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice of these meetings is in compliance 
with Federal Advisory Committee Act, (Pub. L. 117-286, 5 U.S.C., ch. 
10). The National Towing Safety Advisory Committee is authorized by 
section 601 of the Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 
2018, (Pub. L. 115-282, 132 Stat. 4192), and is codified in 46 U.S.C. 
15108. The Committee operates under the provisions of the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act and 46 U.S.C. 15109. The National Towing Safety 
Advisory Committee provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary 
of Homeland Security through the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, on 
matters related to shallow-draft inland navigation, coastal waterway 
navigation, and towing safety.

Agenda

    The agenda for the National Towing Safety Advisory Committee is as 
follows:

The Committee Meeting Agenda, September 26, 2023

I. Opening
    a. Call to order and DFO Remarks.
    b. NTSAC Chairperson Remarks.
II. Subcommittee Breakout Working Session
    a. Subcommittees: Task #21-03, Report On the Anticipated Challenges 
Expected to Impact the Towing Vessel Industry;
    b. Task #21-04, Report on the Challenges Faced by the Towing Vessel 
Industry as a Result of the Covid-19 Pandemic;
    c. Task #22-01, Recommendations to the Coast Guard for Rulemaking 
Improvements to Subchapter M;
    d. Task #22-02, Recommendation for Training and Instruction for 
Crewmembers Working Aboard Subchapter M Inspected Towing Vessels.
IV. Full Committee Working Session
    a. U.S. Coast Guard Administrative Business.
    b. Review of New Task Statements.
V. Adjournment of meeting

The Committee Meeting Agenda, September 27, 2023

I. Opening
    a. Call to Order and DFO Remarks.
    b. Committee Chairperson Remarks.
    c. Roll Call and Determination of Quorum.
    d. U.S. Coast Guard Leadership Remarks.
II. Administration
    a. Adoption of Meeting Agenda.
    b. Approval of Meeting Minutes for April 12, 2023 Committee 
Meeting.
III. Old Business
    a. Update from Subcommittees:
    [cir] Task #21-03, Report On the Anticipated Challenges Expected to 
Impact the Towing Vessel Industry;
    [cir] Task #21-04, Report on the Challenges Faced by the Towing 
Vessel Industry as a Result of the Covid-19 Pandemic;
    [cir] Task #22-01, Recommendation to the Coast Guard for Rulemaking 
Improvements to Subchapter M;
    [cir] Task #22-02, Recommendation for Training and Instruction for 
Crewmembers Working Aboard Subchapter M Inspected Towing Vessels.
    b. Vetting Subcommittee Update.
IV. New Business
    a. Committee Planning.
V. Information Session
    a. U.S. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans.
    b. CG-INV, Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment (SASH) Reporting.
    c. Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise, 46 CFR Subchapter M 
Compliance.
    d. District 8 Towing Vessel Coordinator.
    e. Marine Compliance Alliance.
VI. Committee Discussion
VII. Public Comment Period
VIII. Closing Remarks and Plans for Next Meeting
IX. Adjournment of Meeting
    A copy of all pre-meeting documentation, and referenced National 
Towing Safety Advisory Committee Task Statements, will be available at 
https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Prevention-Policy-CG-5P/Commercial-Regulations-standards-CG-5PS/Office-of-Operating-and-Environmental-Standards/vfos/TSAC/no later than 
September 13, 2023. Alternatively, you may contact Mr. Matthew Layman 
as noted above in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section above.
    There will be a public comment period at the end of the meetings. 
Speakers are requested to limit their comments to 3 minutes. Please 
note that the public comment period may end before the period allotted, 
following the last call for comments. Please contact the individual 
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT SECTION to register as a 
speaker.

    Dated: August 28, 2023.
Jeffrey G. Lantz,
Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2023-19760 Filed 9-12-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P


