25420 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 84 / Monday, May 1, 2000 / Notices

U.S.C. 5323(j)(2)(B), which states those

requirements shall not apply if the item or

items being procured are not produced in the

U.S. in sufficient and reasonably available

quantities and of a satisfactory quality. The

implementing regulation provides that, ‘‘[i]t

will be presumed that the conditions exist to

grant this non-availability waiver if no

responsive and responsible bid is received

offering an item produced in the United

States.’’ 49 CFR 661.7(c)(1). The regulation

goes on to note that, ‘‘[t]he waivers described

in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section may

be granted for a component or subcomponent

in the case of procurement of the items

governed by section 165(b)(3) of the Act

(requirements for rolling stock). If a waiver is

granted for a component or subcomponent,

that component or subcomponent will be

considered to be of domestic origin for the

purposes of Section 661.11 of this part.’’ 49

CFR 661.7(f). The regulations allow a bidder

or supplier to request a non-availability

waiver for a component or subcomponent in

the procurement of rolling stock. See 49 CFR

661.7(f) and 49 CFR 661.9(d).

You claim that the type of axle necessary

for the production of the Orion II is not

available from a domestic source. In addition

to the representations in your

correspondence, you have also provided me

with letters from two U.S. manufacturers of

the heavy-duty axle, Spicer Heavy Axle and

Meritor Automotive, Inc. You represent that

these are the only two such manufacturers,

and they both indicate that they have no

plans to manufacture the product in the U.S.

Based on the information you have

provided, I have determined that the grounds

for a ‘‘non-availability’’ waiver do exist.

Therefore, pursuant to the provisions of 49

U.S.C. 5323(j)(2)(B), the waiver is hereby

extended for the procurement of heavy-duty

axles for the Orion II for the period of two

years, or until such time as a domestic source

for this heavy-duty axle becomes available. In

order to insure that the public is aware of this

waiver, particularly potential manufacturers,

this waiver will be published in the Federal

Register.

If you have any questions, please contact

Meghan G. Ludtke at (202) 366–4011.

Very truly yours,

Gregory B. McBride,

Deputy Chief Counsel.

Issued: April 26, 2000.

Nuria I. Fernandez,

Acting Administrator.

[FR Doc. 00–10779 Filed 4–28–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–57–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maritime Administration

Reports, Forms and Recordkeeping

Requirements; Agency Information

Collection Activity Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: In compliance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44

U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice

announces that the information

collection abstracted below has been

forwarded to the Office of Management

and Budget (OMB) for review and

comment. Described below is the nature

of the information collection and its

expected burden. The Federal Register

notice with a 60-day comment period

soliciting comments on the following

collection was published on February

15, 2000 (65 FR 7608).

DATES: Comments must be submitted on

or before May 31, 2000. Comments were

due April 17, 2000. No comments were

received.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Christopher Krusa, Office of Maritime

Labor, Training, and Safety, Maritime

Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW,

Room 7302, Washington, DC 20590,

telephone number 202–366–2648.

Copies of this collection can also be

obtained from that office.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Maritime Administration

Title of Collection: ‘‘Information to

Determine Seamen’s Reemployment

Rights—National Emergency.’’

OMB Control Number: 2133–0526.

Type of Request: Approval of an

existing information collection.

Affected Public: U.S. merchant

seamen who have completed designated

national service in time of war or

national emergency and are seeking

reemployment with a prior employer.

Form(s): None.

Abstract: MARAD is requesting

approval of this information collection

in an effort to implement provisions of

the Maritime Security Act of 1996.

These provisions amend the Merchant

Marine Act, 1936, to grant

reemployment rights and other benefits

to certain merchant seamen serving on

vessels used by the United States for a

war, armed conflict, national

emergency, or maritime mobilization

need. This rule establishes the

procedure for obtaining the necessary

MARAD certification for reemployment

rights and other benefits conferred by

statute and MARAD’s assistance in

pursuing these statutory rights and

benefits. This collection requires

merchant seamen to provide documents

indicating their period of employment

and their merchant mariner’s status. The

information provided will allow

MARAD to determine eligibility for

reemployment rights when the

employment is related to a designated

national service.

Annual Estimated Burden Hours: 50

hours.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to the

Office of Information and Regulatory

Affairs, Office of Management and

Budget, 725–17th Street, NW,

Washington, DC 20503, Attention

MARAD Desk Officer.

Comments are Invited on: Whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance

of the functions of the Department,

including whether the information will

have practical utility; the accuracy of

the Department’s estimate of the burden

of the proposed information collection;

ways to enhance the quality, utility and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on respondents, including the use of

automated collection techniques or

other forms of information technology.

A comment to OMB is best assured of

having its full effect if OMB receives it

within 30 days of publication.

Dated: April 25, 2000.

Joel C. Richard,

Secretary, Maritime Administration.

[FR Doc. 00–10722 Filed 4–28–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–81–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maritime Administration

Reports, Forms and Recordkeeping

Requirements; Agency Information

Collection Activity Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: In compliance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44

U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice

announces that the information

collection abstracted below has been

forwarded to the Office of Management

and Budget (OMB) for review and

comment. Described below is the nature

of the information collection and its

expected burden. The Federal Register

notice with a 60-day comment period

soliciting comments on the following

collection was published on February

15, 2000 [65 FR 7607]. Public comments

were due on or before April 17, 2000.

No comments were received.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on

or before May 31, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Thomas W. Harrelson, Office of Cargo

Preference, Maritime Administration,

400 Seventh Street, SW, Room 8118,

Washington, DC 20590, telephone

number 202–366–4610. Copies of this

collection can also be obtained from that

office.