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[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 91 (Thursday, May 10, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27538-27539]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-11302]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee--Continuing a Task

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of continuing a task assignment for the Aviation 
Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC).

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SUMMARY: The FAA assigned the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee 
(ARAC) a continuing task to provide advice and recommendations to the 
FAA about implementing a process for prioritizing rulemaking projects. 
This task addresses, in part, one of the Department of Transportation's 
Future of Aviation Advisory Committee (FAAC) recommendations. This 
notice informs the public of a continuing ARAC activity and does not 
solicit membership for the existing Rulemaking Prioritization Working 
Group (RPWG).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Katherine Haley, Office of Rulemaking, 
Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC 20591; telephone: 202-493-5708, facsimile: 202-267-5075; 
email: Katherine.L.Haley@faa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The FAA established ARAC to provide advice and recommendations to 
the FAA Administrator on the FAA's rulemaking activities. ARAC's 
objectives are to improve the development of the FAA's regulations by 
providing information, advice, and recommendations related to aviation 
issues.
    In April 2011, the FAA tasked ARAC to provide advice and 
recommendations on developing a framework and methodologies to assist 
the FAA in assessing and sequencing potential rulemaking projects.\1\ 
The FAA provided the RPWG with a set of issues to test the framework 
and methodologies. The RPWG conducted its task from June to December 
2011 and submitted recommendations to ARAC on December 14, 2011. ARAC 
accepted the recommendations on December 16, 2011 and forwarded them to 
the FAA. The entire recommendation report can be found at: http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/rulemaking/committees/arac/.
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    \1\ FAA, Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC)--New Task 
(76 FR 21936).
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    The March 2012 ARAC Executive Committee meeting included a 
discussion of continuing the task to further test the RPWG's 
methodology. This notice advises the public that the FAA has assigned, 
and the ARAC Executive Committee has accepted, the task to test the 
methodology and to develop a report including recommendations 
explaining the results.

The Task

    The FAA has tasked the RPWG to provide advice and recommendations 
to further test the recommended methodology.
    The RPWG is expected to develop a report containing recommended 
changes to the methodology. This report should document both majority 
and minority positions on the findings and the rationale for each 
position. Any disagreements should be documented, including the 
rationale for each position and the reasons for the disagreement.
    In developing its recommendations, the RPWG shall:
    1. Review the RPWG Phase I Recommendation Report.
    2. Test the methodology and the tools using a subset of completed 
rulemakings provided by the FAA.
    3. Develop measurable scoring evaluation to evaluate projects 
against each other.
    4. Evaluate the results of the test and refine the process and the 
tools accordingly.
    Schedule: The recommendations must be forwarded to the ARAC 
Executive Committee for review and approval no later than September 
2012. The RPWG may be asked to clarify the report between September and 
December 2012.

ARAC Acceptance of Task

    The ARAC Executive Committee has accepted the continuing task using 
members of the existing RPWG. The RPWG serves as staff to ARAC and 
assists in the analysis of the assigned task. ARAC must review and 
approve the RPWG's recommendations. If ARAC accepts the working group's 
recommendations, it will send them to the FAA.

Working Group Activity

    The RPWG must comply with the procedures adopted by ARAC. As part 
of the procedures, the RPWG must:
    1. Recommend a work plan for completion of the task, including the 
rationale supporting such a plan, for consideration at the next ARAC 
Executive Committee meeting held following publication of this notice.
    2. Provide a status report at each meeting of the ARAC Executive 
Committee.
    3. Draft the recommendation report and required analyses and/or any 
other related materials or documents.
    4. Present the final recommendations to the ARAC Executive 
Committee for review and approval.

Participation in the Working Group

    The existing RPWG is comprised of technical experts having an 
interest in the assigned task. A working group member need not be a 
representative or a member of the full committee.
    All existing RPWG members who choose to participate in this task 
must actively participate by attending all meetings, and providing 
written comments when requested to do so. Each member must devote the 
resources necessary to support the working group in meeting any 
assigned deadlines. Each member must keep their management chain, and 
those they may represent, advised of working group activities and 
decisions to ensure the proposed technical solutions do not conflict 
with their sponsoring organization's position when the subject is 
presented to ARAC for approval. Once the RPWG has begun deliberations, 
members will not be added or substituted without the

[[Page 27539]]

approval of the FAA and the Working Group Chair.
    The Secretary of Transportation determined the formation and use of 
ARAC is necessary and in the public interest in connection with the 
performance of duties imposed on the FAA by law.
    ARAC meetings are open to the public. However, RPWG meetings are 
not open to the public, except to the extent individuals with an 
interest and expertise are selected to participate. The FAA will make 
no public announcement of the RPWG meetings.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on May 3, 2012.
Brenda D. Courtney,
Acting Executive Director, Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee.
[FR Doc. 2012-11302 Filed 5-9-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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