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jft-hctQ Federal Register / Vo i 56, No. 185 / Tuesday. September 24. 1991 / Propoaed Ruies SC-A-sW 

Apr-xn*---

lomesH-l 

The Librarian of Congress. 

[FR Doc. 91-22790 Filed 9-23-91:8:45 ami 

H U M COM (4M-47-II 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

40 CFR Parts 80,86, and 600 

(FRL-401WI 

Control of Air Pottution From New 

Motor Vehicles and New Motor Vehicle 

Engines; Refueling Emission 

Regulation* lor Gasoline-Fueled LightDuty Vehicles and Trucks and HeavyDuty Vehicles 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Notice of extension of public 

hearing. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces a one 

day extension of a previously 

announced public hearing. On 

September 3,1991 (58 FR 43682). EPA 

announced that a public hearing would 

be held regarding safety issues 

associated with onboard refueling 

control systems. The public hearing was 

previously scheduled to last one day, 

September 26,1991. Due to the high level 

of interest and the amount of time 

requested for testimony by those 

planning to participate, the hearing has 

been extended to September 27,1991 

DATES: The public hearing will be held 

on both September 28.1991, and 

September 27,1991. Both sessions will 

start at 9 a.m. The second day of the 

hearing will continue throughout the day 

as long as necessary to complete 

testimony. Participants are welcome to 

testify on either day. 

AOORESSIS: Both sessions of the public 

hearing will be held at the Royce Hotel 

(formerly the Airport Hilton), 31500 

Wickham Road, Romulus. Michigan 

48174 (telephone: 313-292-3400). 

FOR FURTHM tNFOAMATIOM CONTACT. 

Mr. Don Kopinski.US. EPA (SDSB). 

Emisaion Control Technology Division, 

2565 Plymouth Road. Ann Arbor, MI 

48105, Telephone: (313) 668-4264. 

Dated: September 17.1991. 

Michael Shapiro, 

Acting Assistant A dminittrator fot-Air. and 

Radiation. 

(FR Doc. 91-22966 Filed 9-23-91: 8:45 am| 

MLUM COM tMO-M-M 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

National Mghnoy Traffic Safety 

Administration 

49 CFR Part 571 

[Docket Na 90-05; Notice 31 

RIN2127-AOS1 

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety 

Standards; School Bus Passenger 

Seating and Crash Protection 

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic 

Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking. 

SUMMARY: This notice solicits comments 

on a proposal to amend Standard No. 

222. School Bus Passenger Seating anti 

Crash Protection. School buses designed 

(on a voluntary basis or pursuant to a 

legal requirement other than one issued 

by this agency) to transport persona in 

wheelchairs would be required to have 

wheelchair securement devices and 

occupant restraint systems meeting 

specified performance requirements. 

The proposed amendments include 

establishing minimum strength and 

location requirements for the 

anchorages for securement ana restraint 

devices, and establishing minrraum 

strength requirements for the . 

securement and restraint de-rices . 

themselves. Currently, Standard No. 222 

specifies occupant protection 

requirements for school bus passenger 

seating and restraining barriers. This 

proposal would provide a level of 

occupant protection far students ia 

wheelchairs cmparafate to diet 

currently provided to persons able to 

use standard bench seats. In addition-, 

this proposal la. intended to prevent 

potential injuries to all occupants 

caused by a wheelchair which ia not 

adequately secured. 

DATBK Comaeots must be received by 

November 25.1991. If adopted, the 

proposed amendments would become 

effective one year following the 

publication of the final rule. 

AOOMUMS: ConsMnia ahould refer to 

the docket and notice number of thia 

notice and be submitted to: Docket 

Section, room 5-108,-National Highway 

Traffic Safety Administration. 400 

Seventh Street. SW.. Washington. DC 

20590. (Docket Jtoam hours areS.30 

a.iru-4 pjn, Monday through Friday) 

FOR FURTMB) aWOMMTtOM CONTACTS 

Mr. Charles Gautaer. NKM-ttl Office e l 

Vehicle Saitry Standards, National 

Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 

400 Seventh Street. SW.. Washington, 

DC 26590. Telephone. (202) 366-4799. 

SUPPtBMBNTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Federal motor vehicle safety standard 

No. 222. School Bus Passenger Seating 

and Craslm Protection, specifies 

occupant protection requirements for 

school bus passenger seating and 

restraining barriers. The requirements, 

which apply to each "school bus 

passenger seat." include Limits oo the 

fore and aft spacing between adjacent 

rows of seats in order to keep students 

compartmentalized or contained within 

their immediate seating area during a 

crash. The term "school bus passenger 

seat" is defined in S4 of the standard as 

"a seat in a school bus. other than the 

driver's seat or a seat installed to 

accommodate handicapped or 

convalescent passengers aa evidenced 

by orientation of the seat in a direction 

that is more than 45 degrees to the left 

or right of the longitudinal centerline of 

the veWde." While recognizing that 

occupant protection is as important for 

students with disabilities as for others, 

the agency included this exception 

because the technical requirements for 

forward-facing seats are not relevant to 

or suitable for side-facing seats designed 

for disahled or convalescent students. 

The agency did not want to delay 

realizing the safety benefits from issuing 

standards for other students while 

attempting to develop suitable methods 

for providing students with disabilities 

with crash protection. The agency 

announced that it intended to establish 

requirements for these specialized 

seating arrangements in the future (41 

FR 28506. July 12.1976). 

In July 1980. Mr. Lyle Stephens and 

Ms. Dehra-Simma filed a discrimination 

complaint with the ILS. Department of 

Transportation concerning seating for 

students with disabilities on school 

buses. They alleged that the Department 

had violated Section 504 ai the 

Rehabilitation Act of 1973. as amended, 

by failing to establish "school bus 

passenger seating or crash protection 

requirements for handicapped students 

who use wheelchairs or reqaire devices 

other than the traditional school bus 

passenger seat while being transported." 

Since the plaintiffs indicated that tha 

relief they sought was rulemaking, the 

agency treated the Slephens-ZSimms 

complaint as a petition far rulemaking 

and published a Fedatal Ragtater notice 

granting 4hair peflttaa to establish 

Standard No. 222 requirements for 

students with disabilities (59 ER 7346. 

March 1.1990). ''--

Shortly dwseaflar. tha agency 

published a notice (55 FR 21891: May 30. 

1990) announcing the availability of a 

study ("Wheelchair and Occupant 
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