[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 202 (Friday, October 20, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72430-72431]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-23251]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; NOAA Diving Program

    The Department of Commerce will submit the following information 
collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995, on or after the date of publication of this notice. We invite the 
general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and 
continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of 
our information collection requirements and minimize the public's 
reporting burden. Public comments were previously requested via the 
Federal Register on August 17, 2023 during a 60-day comment period. 
This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.
    Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department 
of Commerce.
    Title: NOAA Diving Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-XXXX.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Regular submission. This is a new information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 483.
    Average Hours per Response: The time for response varies depending 
on the collection instrument. The response times range from one minute 
to two hours.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 221.
    Needs and Uses: This is a request for approval of a collection 
currently in use without OMB approval.
    The NOAA Diving Program (NDP) is administered by the U.S. 
Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
(NOAA), and is headquartered at the NOAA Western Regional Center (WRC) 
in

[[Page 72431]]

Seattle, Washington. The NDP provides the guidelines, policy, and 
training for all NOAA Divers, which includes all NOAA employees who 
dive, as well as contractors and volunteers, among others, who conduct 
diving operations.
    With more than 300 divers, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA) has the largest complement of divers of any 
civilian federal agency. NOAA Divers conduct operations in our nation's 
waters and beyond in support of NOAA's scientific research and 
operations. They are called upon to work in various conditions ranging 
from the warm, clear waters of a marine sanctuary, to the cold, murky 
waters of a commercial harbor. The tasks NOAA Divers complete are as 
varied as the waters they dive in, with most divers supporting projects 
and research of the National Ocean Service (NOS), the National Marine 
Fisheries Service (NMFS), and the Office of Marine and Aviation 
Operations (OMAO).
    NOAA Divers are required to maintain a high level of proficiency, 
both in practice (in the water) and in theoretical understanding 
(academic learning) in order to continue to dive at NOAA. In addition, 
NOAA Divers must maintain medical fitness to dive and are required to 
send their diving equipment out for maintenance as scheduled. If 
requirements are not met, divers may become unauthorized to dive or 
suspended. In order to become NOAA Divers, candidates must first submit 
a diving physical to the NOAA Diving Medical Officers to determine if 
they are medically fit to dive. After that, divers must complete 
medical documentation annually to maintain authorization to dive. To 
maintain fitness to dive, it is imperative that divers recognize the 
need for a continual and aggressive exercise program that exceeds basic 
health maintenance standards.
    Affected Public: Individuals.
    Frequency: As needed.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to Obtain or Retain Benefits.
    Legal Authority: 29 CFR Subpart T, Commercial Diving Operations.
    This information collection request may be viewed at 
www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view the Department of 
Commerce collections currently under review by OMB.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be submitted within 30 days of the publication of 
this notice on the following website www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. 
Find this particular information collection by selecting ``Currently 
under 30-day Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search 
function and entering the title of the collection.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for 
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2023-23251 Filed 10-19-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-12-P