7814 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 29 / Thursday, February 12, 2015 / Proposed Rules 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration 

49 CFR Chapter III 

[Docket No. FMCSA–2007–27748] 

Minimum Training Requirements for 

Entry-Level Drivers of Commercial 

Motor Vehicles: Negotiated 

Rulemaking Committee Membership 

and First Meeting 

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration (FMCSA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of advisory committee 

membership and public meeting. 

SUMMARY: FMCSA announces the 

appointment of members to the EntryLevel Driver Training Advisory 

Committee (ELDTAC) established to 

complete a negotiated rulemaking on 

Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) for 

individuals who want to operate 

Commercial Motor Vehicles (CMVs). 

ELDTAC is a negotiated rulemaking 

committee established to develop a 

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) 

to implement section 32304 of the 

Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st 

Century (MAP–21) concerning ELDT 

standards for individuals applying for a 

commercial driver’s license (CDL) or 

CDL upgrade. Additionally, the Agency 

announces that the first meeting of the 

ELDTAC will be held on February 26 

and 27, 2015. The meeting is open to the 

public for its entirety and there will be 

a public comment period at the end of 

each day. 

DATES: The meeting will be held 

Thursday–Friday, February 26–27, 

2015, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Eastern 

Daylight Time (E.T.), at the Hyatt 

Regency Crystal City, 2799 Jefferson 

Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202, 

(703) 418–1234, in the Tidewater room 

on the Ballroom level. Copies of all 

ELDTAC materials and an agenda will 

be made available in advance of the 

meeting at http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/

eldtac. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Shannon L. Watson, Senior Policy 

Advisor, Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration, U.S. Department of 

Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, 

(202) 366–2551, eldtac@dot.gov. 

Services for Individuals with 

Disabilities: 

For information on facilities or 

services for individuals with disabilities 

or to request special assistance at the 

meeting, contact Eran Segev at (617) 

494–3174, eran.segev@dot.gov, by 

Wednesday, February 18. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

Entry-Level Driver Training 

Section 32304 of the Moving Ahead 

for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP– 

21) (Pub. L. 112–141, 126 Stat. 405 (July 

6, 2012)) requires FMCSA to establish 

new regulations concerning ELDT. 

MAP–21 requires ‘‘that the training 

regulations address knowledge and 

skills for motor vehicle operation, 

specific requirements for hazmat and 

passenger endorsements, create a 

certificate system for meeting 

requirements, and require training 

providers to demonstrate that their 

training meets uniform standards.’’ The 

new requirements would apply to 

individuals seeking a CDL to operate 

CMVs, as defined in 49 CFR 383.5. 

On August 19, 2014 (79 FR 49044), 

FMCSA announced that the Agency 

would explore the feasibility of 

conducting a negotiated rulemaking 

concerning entry-level driver training 

for drivers of CMVs. The Agency 

announced the hiring of a convener to 

speak with interested parties about the 

feasibility of conducting an ELDT 

negotiated rulemaking and requested 

public comments by September 18, 

2014. As part of the first step in this 

process, the convener conducted these 

interviews and submitted a report to the 

Agency on November 26, 2014, 

regarding the feasibility of conducting a 

negotiated rulemaking. The convening 

report is available both in the 

rulemaking docket at FMCSA–2007– 

27748 and on the Internet at 

eldtac.fmcsa.dot.gov. 

On December 10, 2014 (79 FR 73273), 

FMCSA announced its intent to 

establish a negotiated rulemaking 

committee to negotiate and develop 

proposed regulations to implement the 

MAP–21 provision concerning ELDT 

based on the recommendations of the 

convener. 

ELDTAC 

The ELDTAC is established by charter 

in accordance with the Federal 

Advisory committee Act (FACA), 5 

U.S.C., App. 2. Transportation Secretary 

Anthony Foxx signed the ELDTAC 

charter on January 15, 2015, which 

provides up to 2 years for the 

Committee’s duration, in accordance 

with section 14 of FACA. Additionally, 

as the ELDTAC is a negotiated 

rulemaking committee (‘‘Reg Neg’’), it 

complies with the Negotiated 

Rulemaking Act (5 U.S.C. 564). The 

Committee is effective from the date of 

signature through January 15, 2017. The 

Agency announced in the Federal 

Register on December 10, 2014 its 

intention to establish a negotiated 

rulemaking committee to negotiate and 

develop proposed regulations on entrylevel driver training, as recommended 

by the neutral convener, Mr. Richard 

Parker, in his report to FMCSA on the 

feasibility of such a rulemaking. Mr. 

Parker, a professor of law at the 

University of Connecticut School of Law 

and a contractor for Strategic Consulting 

Alliances, LLC, will serve as the 

facilitator for the ELDTAC. The 

convening report is available in the 

rulemaking docket at FMCSA–2007– 

27748 and on the Internet at 

www.fmcsa.dot.gov/eldtac. 

ELDTAC Membership 

In its December 10, 2014, Federal 

Register notice, the Agency announced 

that it was soliciting applications and 

nominations for membership on the 

ELDTAC. These members are experts in 

their respective fields and appointed as 

Special Government employees or 

representatives of entities or interests 

including but not limited to the 

following: CMV driver training 

organizations; industry representatives; 

representatives of driver training 

schools; motor carriers (of property and 

passengers) and associations; State 

licensing agencies; State enforcement 

agencies; labor unions; safety advocacy 

groups; insurance companies; and 

others selected with a view toward 

achieving varied perspectives on ELDT. 

In an effort to balance these interests to 

the extent practicable, the FMCSA 

Acting Administrator hereby appoints 

the following members, who will each 

serve for up to one two-year term: 

• Larry W. Minor, Associate 

Administrator for Policy, FMCSA 

• Peter Kurdock, Director, Regulatory 

Affairs, Advocates for Highway and 

Auto Safety 

• Kevin Lewis, Director, Driver 

Programs, American Association of 

Motor Vehicle Administrators 

• Clyde Hart, Vice President, 

Government Affairs, American Bus 

Association 

• Lauren Samet, Assistant Director, 

Paraprofessional and School-Related 

Personnel, American Federation of 

Teachers, AFL–CIO 

• Ed Watt, Director, Special Projects, 

Amalgamated Transit Union, AFL– 

CIO 

• Boyd Stephenson, Director, 

Hazardous Materials and Commercial 

Licensing Policy, American Trucking 

Associations 

• Ron Wood, Washington, DC, 

Volunteer Coordinator, Citizens for 

Reliable and Safe Highways 


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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 29 / Thursday, February 12, 2015 / Proposed Rules 7815 

• Bob Tershak, Master Trooper, Virginia 

State Police, Commercial Vehicle 

Safety Alliance 

• Carl Spatocco, Regional Vice 

President, Educational Affiliates, 

Commercial Vehicle Training 

Association 

• David R. Parker, Senior Legal 

Counsel, Great West Casualty 

Company 

• Al Smith, Director, Safety and 

Security, Greyhound Lines, Inc. 

• LaMont Byrd, Director, Health and 

Safety, International Brotherhood of 

Teamsters 

• Margaret Rohanna, School Bus 

Program Manager, Massachusetts 

Registry of Motor Vehicle Division, 

Massachusetts Department of 

Transportation 

• Martin Garsee, President, National 

Association of Publicly Funded Truck 

Driving Schools 

• Jim Edwards, Washington 

Representative, National Association 

of Small Trucking Companies 

• Charlie Hood, President, National 

Association of State Directors of Pupil 

Transportation Services 

• Bob Ramsdell, Chief Operating 

Officer, West, Durham School 

Services, National School 

Transportation Association 

• Scott Grenerth, Director, Regulatory 

Affairs, Owner-Operator Independent 

Drivers Association 

• David Money, Chairman, Board of 

Directors, Professional Truck Drivers 

Institute 

• Louis Spoonhour, Senior Advisor for 

CDL Programs, Stevens Transport 

• Bryan Spoon, Owner-Operator, Spoon 

Trucking 

• David Heller, Director, Safety and 

Policy, Truckload Carriers 

Association 

• John Lannen, Executive Director, 

Truck Safety Coalition 

• Ken Presley, Vice President, Industry 

Operations, and Chief Operating 

Officer, United Motorcoach 

Association 

• Ellen Voie, President and CEO, 

Women in Trucking 

II. Meeting Participation 

Oral comments from the public will 

be heard during the last half-hour of the 

meetings each day. Should all public 

comments be exhausted prior to the end 

of the specified period, the comment 

period will close. 

III. Submitting Written Comments 

Members of the public may submit 

written comments on the topics to be 

considered during the meeting by 

Wednesday, February 18, to Federal 

Docket Management System (FDMC) 

Docket Number FMCSA–2007–27748. If 

you submit a comment, please include 

the docket number for this notice 

(FMCSA–2007–27748). You may submit 

your comments and material online or 

by fax, mail, or hand delivery, but 

please use only one of these means. 

FMCSA recommends that you include 

your name and a mailing address, an 

email address, or a phone number in the 

body of your document so that FMCSA 

can contact you if there are questions 

regarding your submission. 

To submit your comment online, go to 

http://www.regulations.gov, put the 

docket number, FMCSA–2007–27748, in 

the keyword box, and click ‘‘Search.’’ 

When the new screen appears, click on 

the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ button and type 

your comment into the text box on the 

following screen. Choose whether you 

are submitting your comment as an 

individual or on behalf of a third party 

and then submit. 

If you submit your comments by mail 

or hand delivery, submit them in an 

unbound format, no larger than 81⁄2 by 

11 inches, suitable for copying and 

electronic filing. 

Viewing Comments and Documents 

To view comments, as well as any 

documents mentioned in this preamble 

as being available in the docket, go to 

http://www.regulations.gov. Insert the 

docket number, FMCSA–2007–27748, in 

the keyword box, and click ‘‘Search.’’ 

Next, click the ‘‘Open Docket Folder’’ 

button and choose the document to 

review. If you do not have access to the 

Internet, you may view the docket 

online by visiting the Docket 

Management Facility in Room W12–140 

on the ground floor of the DOT West 

Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 

Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. 

and 5 p.m., E.T., Monday through 

Friday, except Federal holidays. 

Privacy Act 

In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), 

DOT solicits comments from the public 

to better inform its rulemaking process. 

DOT posts these comments, without 

edit, including any personal information 

the commenter provides, to 

www.regulations.gov, as described in 

the system of records notice (DOT/ALL– 

14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at 

www.dot.gov/privacy. 

IV. Future Committee Meetings and 

Rulemaking Calendar 

Decisions with respect to future 

meetings will be made at the first 

meeting and from time to time 

thereafter. Notices of all future meetings 

will be published in the Federal 

Register at least 15 calendar days prior 

to each meeting. In coordination with 

the Reg Neg facilitator, FMCSA has 

developed a provisional schedule of 

committee meetings, running through 

May 2015, which the facilitator plans to 

finalize with the committee during the 

first meeting. 

FMCSA intends to complete the Reg 

Neg process for the proposed rule 

within the first half of 2015 and to 

publish a Notice of Proposed 

Rulemaking (NPRM) this year, followed 

by a Final Rule in 2016. After the 

conclusion of the committee meetings, 

the Agency will draft the NPRM, which 

is expected to take approximately 6–8 

weeks, depending on the degree of 

consensus on the issues and the 

supporting data developed by the 

committee. The NPRM will then be 

reviewed by DOT’s Office of the 

Secretary and the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB). The Agency will 

then publish the NPRM for public 

comment. 

Following the close of the public 

comment period the Agency will 

evaluate and respond to public 

comments as it drafts a final rule, which 

will also undergo Departmental and 

OMB review. Although the time needed 

to address public comments to an 

NPRM that has been developed through 

a successful negotiated rulemaking 

process is typically shorter than for 

rules conducted through the ordinary 

informal notice and comment process, 

the Agency must nonetheless address 

substantive public comments in the 

final rule, in accordance with the 

Administrative Procedure Act. While 

the Agency cannot state with certainty 

the time required to complete the Reg 

Neg process and notice and comment 

rulemaking, the target date for 

publication of an NPRM is October 15, 

2015. 

Issued on: February 9, 2015. 

T.F. Scott Darling, III, 

Acting Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2015–02967 Filed 2–10–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P 


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