3832 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 12 / Thursday, January 19, 1995 / Proposed Rules

*Indicates a newly listed insurer which must file

a report beginning with the report due October 25,

1995.

5. Environmental Impacts

In accordance with the National

Environmental Policy Act, NHTSA has

considered the environmental impacts

of this proposed rule and determined

that it would not have a significant

impact on the quality of the human

environment.

Interested persons are invited to

submit comments on the proposal. It is

requested but not required that 10

copies of the comments be submitted.

All comments must not exceed 15 pages

in length. (49 CFR 553.21). Necessary

attachments may be appended to these

submissions without regard to the 15

page limit. This limitation is intended to

encourage commenters to detail their

primary arguments in a concise fashion.

If a commenter wishes to submit

certain information under a claim of

confidentiality, three copies of the

complete submission, including

purportedly confidential business

information, should be submitted to the

Chief Counsel, NHTSA, at the street

address given above, and seven copies

from which the purportedly confidential

information has been deleted should be

submitted to the Docket Section. A

request for confidentiality should be

accompanied by a cover letter setting

forth the information specified in the

agency’s confidential business

information regulation. (49 CFR part

512).

All comments received before the

close of business on the comment

closing date indicated above for the

proposal will be considered, and will be

available for examination in the docket

at the above address both before and

after the date. To the extent possible,

comments filed after the closing date

will also be considered. Comments

received too late for consideration in

regard to the final rule will be

considered as suggestions for further

rulemaking action. Comments on the

proposal will be available for inspection

in the docket. NHTSA will continue to

file relevant information as it becomes

available in the docket after the closing

date, and it is recommended that

interested persons continue to examine

the docket for new material.

Those persons desiring to be notified

upon receipt of their comments in the

rules docket should enclose a selfaddressed, stamped postcard in the

envelope with their comments. Upon

receiving the comments, the docket

supervisor will return the postcard by

mail.

List of Subjects in 49 CFR Part 544

Crime insurance, insurance, insurance

companies, motor vehicles, reporting

and recordkeeping requirements.

In consideration of the foregoing, 49

CFR part 544 is proposed to be amended

as follows:

PART 544—[AMENDED]

1. The authority citation for part 544

would be revised to read as follows:

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 33112; delegation of

authority at 49 CFR 1.50.

§ 544.2 [Amended]

2. Section 544.2 Purpose. would be

revised to read as follows:

The purpose of these reporting

requirements is to aid in implementing

and evaluating the provisions of 49

U.S.C. chapter 331 Theft Prevention to

prevent or discourage the theft of motor

vehicles, to prevent or discourage the

sale or distribution in interstate

commerce of used parts removed from

stolen motor vehicles, and to help

reduce the cost to consumers of

comprehensive insurance coverage for

motor vehicles.

§ 544.4 [Amended]

3. Paragraph (a) of § 544.4 Definitions

would be revised to read as follows:

(a) Statutory terms. All terms defined

in 49 U.S.C. 32101 and 33112 are used

in accordance with their statutory

meanings unless otherwise defined in

paragraph (b) of this section.

* * * * *

§ 544.5 [Amended]

4. Paragraph (a) of § 544.5 would be

revised to read as follows:

(a) Each insurer to which this part

applies shall submit a report annually

not later than October 25, beginning on

October 25, 1986. The report shall

contain the information required by

§ 544.6 of this part for the calendar year

three years previous to the year in

which the report is filed (e.g., the report

due by October 25, 1995 shall contain

the required information for the 1992

calendar year).

5. Appendix A to part 544 would be

revised to read as follows:

Appendix A—Insurers of Motor Vehicle

Insurance Policies Subject to the Reporting

Requirements in Each State in Which They

Do Business

Aetna Life & Casualty Group

Allstate Insurance Group

American Family Group

American International Group

California State Auto Association

CNA Insurance Companies

Farmers Insurance Group

Geico Corporation Group

General ACC Group*

Hanover Insurance Companies*

ITT Hartford Insurance Group

Liberty Mutual Group

Nationwide Group

Progressive Group

Prudential of America Group

Safeco Insurance Companies*

State Farm Group

Travelers Insurance Group

USAA Group

6. Appendix B to part 544 would be

revised to read as follows:

Appendix B—Issuers of Motor Vehicle

Insurance Policies Subject to the Reporting

Requirements Only in Designated States

Alfa Insurance Group (Alabama)

Amica Mutual Insurance Company (Rhode

Island)

Arbella Mutual Insurance (Massachusetts)

Auto Club of Michigan Group (Michigan)

Commerce Group, Inc. (Massachusetts)

Commercial Union Insurance Companies

(Maine)

Concord Group Insurance Companies

(Vermont)

Erie Insurance Group (Pennsylvania)

Kansas Farm Bureau Group (Kansas)*

Kentucky Farm Bureau Group (Kentucky)

Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Group

(Arkansas, Mississippi)

Tennessee Farmers Companies (Tennessee)

7. Appendix C to part 544 would be

republished without charge to read as

follows:

Appendix C—Motor Vehicle Rental and

Leasing Companies (Including Licensees and

Franchisees) Subject to the Reporting

Requirements of Part 544

Alamo Rent-A-Car, Inc.

American International Rent-A-Car Corp./

ANSA

Avis, Inc.

Budget Rent-A-Car Corporation

Dollar Rent-A-Car Systems, Inc.

Hertz Rent-A-Car Division (subsidiary of

Hertz Corporation)

National Car Rental System, Inc.

Penske Truck Leasing Company

Ryder System, Inc. (both rental and leasing

operations)

U-Haul International, Inc. (subsidiary of

AMERCO)

Issued on: January 13, 1995.

Barry Felrice,

Associate Administrator for Rulemaking.

[FR Doc. 95–1345 Filed 1–18–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Chapter VI

[I.D. 011295A]

Atlantic Coast Weakfish; Intent to

Prepare an EIS

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 12 / Thursday, January 19, 1995 / Proposed Rules 3833

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an

environmental impact statement (EIS)

and request for written comments.

SUMMARY: NMFS announces its intent to

prepare an EIS to assess the impact of

Atlantic Coast weakfish harvests and

proposed regulations on the natural and

human environment. This notice of

intent requests public input (written

comments) on issues that NMFS should

consider in preparing the EIS. Public

hearings for the EIS will be scheduled

at a later date. The EIS will evaluate the

effects on the recovery of weakfish, as

well as the effects on harvest of

proposed regulations. In addition, this

notice provides information on recent

stock assessments for the Atlantic Coast

weakfish and announces that NMFS is

considering measures for the 1995

fishing year and beyond for the Atlantic

Coast weakfish fishery in the exclusive

economic zone (EEZ).

DATES: Written comments on the intent

to prepare the EIS will be accepted until

February 1, 1995. Public hearings will

be announced in the Federal Register at

a later date.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent

to: Richard H. Schaefer, Director, Office

of Fisheries Conservation and

Management (F/CM), National Marine

Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West

Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

William T. Hogarth, telephone (301)

713–2347.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Section 804(b) of the Atlantic Coastal

Fisheries Cooperative Management Act

(ACFCMA) enacted in December 1993,

(Public Law 103–206) states that, in the

absence of an approved and

implemented fishery management plan

(FMP) under the Magnuson Fishery

Conservation and Management Act

(Magnuson Act), 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.,

and after consultation with the

appropriate Fishery Management

Council(s) (Council), the Secretary of

Commerce (Secretary) may implement

regulations to govern fishing in the EEZ

that are:

1. Necessary to support the effective

implementation of an Atlantic States

Marine Fisheries Commission

(Commission) coastal fishery

management plan (CFMP); and

2. Consistent with the national

standards set forth in section 301 of the

Magnuson Act (16 U.S.C. 1851).

These regulations may include

measures recommended by the

Commission to the Secretary that are

necessary to support the provisions of a

CFMP. Regulations issued by the

Secretary to implement an approved

FMP prepared by the appropriate

Council(s) or the Secretary under the

Magnuson Act shall supersede any

conflicting regulations issued by the

Secretary under section 804(b) of

ACFCMA.

The provisions of sections 307

through 311 of the Magnuson Act (16

U.S.C. 1857 through 1861) regarding

prohibited acts, civil penalties, criminal

offenses, civil forfeitures, and

enforcement shall apply with respect to

regulations issued under section 804(b)

of ACFCMA as if such regulations were

issued under the Magnuson Act.

Management responsibility for

weakfish resides primarily with the

coastal states through the Commission’s

CFMP for weakfish (Plan). This Plan

was adopted in 1985 by the coastal

states from Maine through Florida in

response to severe declines in the

weakfish catches and populations along

the coast. Increasingly strict state

regulations have been imposed by

amendments to the Plan since 1985 to

restrict further the harvest of weakfish

by recreational and commercial fisheries

and to allow rebuilding of the stocks.

However, even with these restrictions,

the weakfish population is not showing

signs of recovery. In fact, the 1993 stock

assessment suggests the beginning of

recruitment failure; the fishing mortality

rate (F) for the population is 1.3, i.e., 79

percent of the population is harvested

each year; only 2 percent of the

population achieves spawning age; and

fishing is conducted primarily on 0–

and 1-year-old fish. Moreover, overall

landings (recreational and commercial)

have declined from over 80 million

pounds (36 million kg) in 1980 to 7.8

million pounds (3.5 million kg) in 1993;

the recreational catch has declined from

54 percent of the total landings in 1980

to 12 percent in 1993; and the

commercial fishing effort has shifted,

with 55 and 52 percent of the total

commercial landings in 1992 and 1993,

respectively, being taken in the EEZ

compared with a low of 14 percent in

1973 and an average of 36 percent for

the years 1972–93. These data clearly

indicate that the weakfish stock is

overfished and beginning to suffer

recruitment failure. Harvest restrictions

are definitely needed if weakfish are to

recover.

Based on the recent stock

assessments, NMFS will consider

measures to regulate the Atlantic Coast

weakfish fishery in the EEZ for the 1995

fishing year and beyond, including: (1)

A prohibition on the taking or

possession of weakfish in the EEZ; (2)

applying state regulations to the EEZ; (3)

imposition of specific Federal

regulations on weakfish fishing in the

EEZ; and (4) status quo or no action

taken.

The Mid-Atlantic Council’s workload

will not permit it to undertake a Plan at

this time. NMFS has determined that

regulations in the EEZ must be

implemented to support the CFMP for

weakfish if there is to be a cooperative

state and Federal effort to rebuild the

weakfish stock.

NMFS has determined that the

preparation of an EIS is appropriate,

because of the potentially significant

impact of EEZ regulations on the human

environment and because no EIS

currently exists. Participants in this

fishery will be affected and may face

more limited access to the weakfish

resource, while the natural stocks of

weakfish are allowed to recover.

Dated: January 12, 1995.

Richard H. Schaefer,

Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and

Management, National Marine Fisheries

Service.

[FR Doc. 95–1272 Filed 1–18–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F