35414 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 107 / Friday, June 2, 2000 / Notices

5U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(ii).

6 17 CFR 240.19b–4(e)(2). 7 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).

(B) Self-Regulatory Organization’s

Statement on Burden on Competition

SCCP does not believe that the

proposed rule change will impose any

inappropriate burden on competition.

(C) Self-Regulatory Organization’s

Statement on Comments on the

Proposed Rule Change Received From

Members, Participants, or Others

No written comments have been

solicited or received.

III. Date of Effectiveness of the

Proposed Rule Change and Timing for

Commission Action

Because the foregoing rule change

establishes or changes a due, fee, or

other charge imposed by SCCP, it has

become effective pursuant to Section

19(b)(3)(A)(ii) of the Act 5 and Rule 19b–

4(e)(2) thereunder.6 At any time within

sixty days of the filing of the proposed

rule change, the Commission may

summarily abrogate such rule change if

it appears to the Commission that such

action is necessary or appropriate in the

public interest, for the protection of

investors, or otherwise in furtherance of

the purposes of the Act.

IV. Solicitation of Comments

Interested persons are invited to

submit written data, views, and

arguments concerning the foregoing,

including whether the proposed rule

change is consistent with the Act.

Persons making written submissions

should file six copies thereof with the

Secretary, Securities and Exchange

Commission, 450 Fifth Street, N.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20549–0609. Copies of

the submission, all subsequent

amendments, all written statements

with respect to the proposed rule

change that are filed with the

Commission, and all written

communications relating to the

proposed rule change between the

Commission and any person, other than

those that may be withheld from the

public in accordance with the

provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be

available for inspection and copying in

the Commission’s Public Reference

Section, 450 Fifth Street, N.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20549. Copies of such

filing will also be available for

inspection and copying at SCCP. All

submissions should refer to File No.

SR–SCCP–00–03 and should be

submitted by June 23, 2000.

For the Commission by the Division of

Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated

authority. 7

Margaret H. McFarland,

Deputy Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–13780 Filed 6–1–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8010–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice #3313]

U.S. Advisory Commission on Public

Diplomacy; Notice of Meeting

The U.S. Advisory Commission on

Public Diplomacy, reauthorized

pursuant to P.L. 106–113 (H.R. 3194,

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2000),

will meet on Thursday, June 15, 2000 in

Room 600, 301 4th St., SW, Washington,

D.C. from 2:00pm to 3:00pm.

The Commission will discuss its

plans for assessing the consolidation of

USIA into the State Department and the

effectiveness of U.S. public diplomacy

in the former Soviet Union.

Members of the general public may

attend the meeting, though attendance

of public members will be limited to the

seating available. Access to the building

is controlled, and individual building

passes are required for all attendees.

Persons who plan to attend should

contact David J. Kramer, Executive

Director, at (202) 619–4463.

Dated: May 30, 2000.

David J. Kramer,

Executive Director, U.S. Advisory

Commission on Public Diplomacy,

Department of State.

[FR Doc. 00–13871 Filed 6–1–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710–11–U

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

[USCG 2000–7373]

Guidelines for Assessing Merchant

Mariners’ Proficiency Through

Demonstrations of Skills for Ratings

Forming Part of a Navigational Watch

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Availability and

Request for comments.

SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces

the availability of, and seeks public

comments on, the national performance

measures proposed here for use as

guidelines when mariners demonstrate

their proficiency in skills for ratings

forming part of a navigational watch. A

working group of the Merchant Marine

Personnel Advisory Committee

(MERPAC) developed and

recommended national performance

measures for this proficiency. The Coast

Guard has adapted the measures

recommended by MERPAC.

DATES: Comments and related material

must reach the Docket Management

Facility on or before August 1, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Please identify your

comments and related material by the

docket number of this rulemaking

[USCG 2000–7373]. Then, to make sure

they enter the docket just once, submit

them by just one of the following means:

(1) By mail to the Docket Management

Facility, U.S. Department of

Transportation, room PL–401, 400

Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC

20590–0001.

(2) By delivery to room PL–401 on the

Plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400

Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC,

between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday

through Friday, except Federal holidays.

The telephone number is 202–366–

9329.

(3) By fax to the Docket Management

Facility at 202–493–2251.

(4) Electronically through the Web

Site for the Docket Management System

at http://dms.dot.gov.

The Docket Management Facility

maintains the public docket for this

Notice. Comments and related material

received from the public, as well as

documents mentioned in this Notice,

will become part of this docket and will

be available for inspection or copying at

room PL–401 on the Plaza level of the

Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street

SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m.

and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday,

except Federal holidays. You may also

find this docket on the Internet at http:/

/dms.dot.gov.

The measures proposed here are also

available from Mr. Mark Gould,

Maritime Personnel Qualifications

Division, Office of Operating and

Environmental Standards, Commandant

(G–MSO–1), U.S. Coast Guard

Headquarters, telephone 202–267–0229.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

questions on this Notice or on the

national performance measures

proposed here, write or call Mr. Mark

Gould where indicated under

ADDRESSES. For questions on viewing or

submitting material to the docket, call

Dorothy Walker, Chief, Dockets,

Department of Transportation,

telephone 202–366–9329.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 107 / Friday, June 2, 2000 / Notices 35415

What Action Is the Coast Guard

Taking?

Table A–II/4 of the Code

accompanying the treaty on Standards

of Training, Certification and

Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW),

1978, as amended in 1995, articulates

qualifications for merchant mariners’

attaining the minimum standard of

competence for ratings forming part of

a navigational watch. The Coast Guard

tasked MERPAC with referring to the

Table, modifying and specifying it as it

deemed necessary, and recommending

national performance measures. The

Coast Guard has adapted the measures

recommended by MERPAC and is

proposing them now for use as

guidelines when assessing mariners’

proficiency in skills for ratings forming

part of a navigational watch.

Here follow the five skills that a

mariner must demonstrate respecting

ratings forming part of a navigational

watch, with an example of a

Performance Condition, a Performance

Behavior, and four Performance

Standards for one of those five skills:

Five Skills: Use magnetic and gyrocompasses; Respond to standard rudder

orders (hard right [starboard] or left

[port]; ease the rudder; midships; shift

your rudder; meet her; steady as she

goes; and steer on the range); Change

over from automatic pilot to hand

steering; Discharge certain

responsibilities of the lookout (reporting

sounds, lights and objects); and Know

watch procedures that contribute to a

safe watch (relief, maintenance and

handover).

The Performance Condition for the

skill entitled, ‘‘Change over from

automatic pilot to hand steering’’ is: At

sea speed, when hearing the command,

‘‘Put the steering into hand steering,

* * *.’’ This calls for, in the case of this

skill, one Performance Behavior.

The Performance Behavior for the

same skill is: The candidate will change

the steering mode from automatic pilot

to hand steering. This calls for, in the

case of this skill, four Performance

Standards.

The Performance Standards for the

same skill are: Repeat order; Switch the

steering mode from automatic pilot to

hand steering; Test that the new steering

mode is responding; and State, ‘‘She’s in

hand steering.’’

If the mariner properly meets all of

the Performance Standards, he or she

passes the practical demonstration. If he

or she fails to properly carry out any of

the Performance Standards, he or she

fails the demonstration.

Why Is the Coast Guard Taking This

Action?

The Coast Guard is taking this action

to comply with STCW, as amended in

1995 and incorporated into domestic

law at 46 CFR parts 10, 12, and 15 in

1997. Guidance from the International

Maritime Organization on shipboard

assessments of proficiency suggests that

Parties develop standards and measures

of performance for practical tests as part

of their programs for training and

assessing seafarers.

How May I Participate in This Action?

You may participate in this action by

submitting comments and related

material on the national performance

measures proposed here. (Although the

Coast Guard does not seek public

comment on the measures

recommended by MERPAC, as distinct

from the measures proposed here, those

measures are available on the Internet at

the Homepage of MERPAC, http://

www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/advisory/

merpac/merpac.htm.) These measures

are available on the Internet at http://

dms.dot.gov. They are also available

from Mr. Mark Gould where indicated

under ADDRESSES. If you submit written

comments please include—

• Your name and address;

• The docket number for this Notice

[USCG 2000–7373];

• The specific section of the

performance measures to which each

comment applies; and

• The reason for each comment.

You may mail, deliver, fax, or

electronically submit your comments

and related material to the Docket

Management Facility, using an address

or fax number listed in ADDRESSES.

Please do not submit the same comment

or material more than once. If you mail

or deliver your comments and material,

they must be on 81⁄2 by 11-inch paper,

and the quality of the copy should be

clear enough for copying and scanning.

If you mail your comments and material

and would like to know whether the

Docket Management Facility received

them, please enclose a stamped, selfaddressed postcard or envelope. The

Coast Guard will consider all comments

and material received during the 60-day

comment period.

Once we have considered all

comments and related material, we will

publish a final version of the national

performance measures for use as

guidelines by the general public.

Individuals and institutions assessing

the competence of mariners may refine

the final version of these measures and

develop innovative alternatives. If you

vary from the final version of these

measures, however, you must submit

your alternative to the National

Maritime Center for approval by the

Coast Guard under 46 CFR 10.303(e)

before you use it as part of an approved

course or training program.

Dated: May 16, 2000.

Howard L. Hime,

Acting, Director of Standards.

[FR Doc. 00–13869 Filed 6–1–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–15–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

RTCA Program Management

Committee; Meeting

Pursuant to section 10(a)(2) of the

Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub.

L. 92–463, U.S.C. Appendix 2), notice is

hereby given for Program Management

Committee (PMC) meeting to be held

June 20, 2000, starting at 9 a.m. The

meeting will be held at RTCA, Inc., 140

Connecticut Avenue, NW., Suite 1020,

Washington, DC 20036.

The agenda will include: (1) Welcome

and Introductions; (2) Review and

Approve Summary of Previous Meeting;

(3) Consider and Approval Publication

of: (a) Final Draft, Requirements

Specification for Avionics Computer

Resource (RTCA Paper No. 131–00/

SC182–105), prepared by SC–182; (b)

Final Draft, Minimum Human Factors

Standards for Air Traffic Services

Provided Via Data Communications

Utilizing the Aeronautical

Telecommunications Network (ATN),

Builds I and IA (RTCA Paper No. 132–

00/SC194–021), prepared by SC–194; (4)

Review Action Item 00–04, Update on

NEXCOM; (5) Discuss SC–159 Work

Program—GNSS Application to Airport

Surface Operations; (6) Discuss

Document Production; (7) Other

Business; (8) Date and Location of Next

Meeting; (9) Closing.

Attendance is open to the interested

public but limited to space availability.

With the approval of the chairman,

members of the public may present oral

statements at the meeting. Persons

wishing to present statements or obtain

information should contact the RTCA

Secretariat, 1140 Connecticut Avenue,

NW., Suite 1020, Washington, DC

20036; (202) 833–9339 (phone); (202)

833–9434 (fax); or http://www.rtca.org

(web site). Members of the public may

present a written statement to the

committee at any time.