19560 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 86 / Thursday, May 2, 1996 / Rules and Regulations

and international laws, regulations and

treaties.

* * * * *

[FR Doc. 96–10851 Filed 5–1–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

49 CFR Part 571

[Docket No. 96–21; Notice 01]

RIN 2127–AF68

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety

Standards; Seat Belt Assembly

Anchorages

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: This rule deletes two owner’s

manual requirements in Standard No.

210, ‘‘Seat Belt Anchorages.’’ Standard

No. 210 requires that manufacturers

include a diagram in their owner’s

manuals showing the location of any

shoulder belt anchorages required by

the standard, if the vehicle is not

equipped with shoulder belts at those

locations. Standard No. 210 also

requires the inclusion of owner’s

manual information concerning the use

and the installation of child safety seats

in vehicles equipped with an automatic

belt at the right front outboard seating

position, if the belt cannot be used to

secure a child seat. NHTSA believes it

is appropriate to delete these

requirements because they are or soon

will be obsolete.

DATES: Effective Dates: The removal of

paragragh S6(c) of § 571.210 is effective

June 3, 1996. The removal of S7 of

§ 571.210 is effective September 1, 1998.

Petition Date: Any petitions for

reconsideration must be received by

NHTSA no later than June 17, 1996.

ADDRESS: Any petitions for

reconsideration should refer to the

docket and notice number of this notice

and be submitted to: Administrator,

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration, 400 Seventh Street SW.,

Washington, DC 20590.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The

following persons at the National

Highway Traffic Safety Administration,

400 Seventh Street SW., Washington,

DC 20590:

For non-legal issues: Clarke B. Harper,

Office of Crashworthiness Standards,

NPS–11, telephone (202) 366–4916,

facsimile (202) 366–4329, electronic

mail ‘‘charper@nhtsa.dot.gov’’.

For legal issues: Mary Versailles,

Office of the Chief Counsel, NCC–20,

telephone (202) 366–2992, facsimile

(202) 366–3820, electronic mail

‘‘mversailles@nhtsa.dot.gov’’.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant

to the March 4, 1995 directive,

‘‘Regulatory Reinvention Initiative,’’

from the President to the heads of

departments and agencies, NHTSA

undertook a review of all its regulations

and directives. During the course of this

review, the agency identified several

requirements and regulations that are

potential candidates for amendment or

rescission, including two owner’s

manual information requirements in

Standard No. 210, ‘‘Seat Belt Assembly

Anchorages.’’

NHTSA believes that these

requirements should be deleted because

they are or soon will be obsolete. The

first requirement is in paragraph S6(c),

which requires that vehicle

manufacturers include a diagram in

their vehicle owner’s manuals showing

the location of any shoulder belt

anchorages required by the standard, if

their vehicles are not equipped with

shoulder belts at those locations. This

requirement was intended to ensure that

consumers were aware of the existence

of beltless anchorages in rear seating

locations. The other requirement is in

paragraph S7, which requires the

inclusion of owner’s manual

information concerning the use and the

installation of child safety seats in

vehicles equipped with an automatic

belt at the right front outboard seating

position, if the belt cannot be used to

secure a child seat.

Paragraph S6(c) is currently not

applicable to any vehicle. Since

September 1, 1991, all rear seating

positions which are required by

Standard No. 210 to have a shoulder

belt anchorage are also required by

Standard No. 208, ‘‘Occupant Crash

Protection,’’ to have shoulder belts

installed. As there are no longer any

required, but unused, rear outboard

shoulder belt anchorages, the agency is

deleting this requirement.

With regard to the requirements of S7

of Standard No. 210 requiring

information concerning installation of

child restraints in a seating position

with an automatic belt, several recent

amendments to Standard No. 208 will

make this owner’s manual requirement

obsolete after September 1, 1998. First,

a final rule published on September 2,

1993, requires an air bag and manual

belt at the right front outboard seating

position in passenger cars and light

trucks by September 1, 1998 (58 FR

46551). After that date, automatic belts

will not be installed in those seating

positions. Second, a final rule published

on October 13, 1993, requires manual

belts installed at any seating position

other than the driver’s position in

vehicles manufactured after September

1, 1995, to be capable of tightly securing

a child safety seat without the necessity

of the user’s attaching any device to the

safety belt system (58 FR 52922). This

‘‘lockability’’ requirement will also be

described in the owners manual. The

combination of the manual belt

requirement and the lockability

requirement will make Section 7 of 210

obsolete after September 1, 1998.

NHTSA is not soliciting public

comment on these amendments.

NHTSA finds for good cause that notice

and opportunity to comment are

unnecessary because the amendments

are technical in nature. They delete

requirements addressing circumstances

that have been or will be eliminated by

other requirements in the Federal Motor

Vehicle Safety Standards.

Rulemaking Analyses and Notices

Executive Order 12866 and DOT

Regulatory Policies and Procedures

NHTSA has considered the impact of

this rulemaking action under E.O. 12866

and the Department of Transportation’s

regulatory policies and procedures. This

rulemaking document was not reviewed

under E.O. 12866, ‘‘Regulatory Planning

and Review.’’ This action has been

determined to be not ‘‘significant’’

under the Department of

Transportation’s regulatory policies and

procedures. Because this rule deletes

obsolete provisions, no cost or saving

will result.

Regulatory Flexibility Act: NHTSA

has also considered the impacts of this

rule under the Regulatory Flexibility

Act. I hereby certify that this rule will

not have a significant economic impact

on a substantial number of small

entities. As explained above, NHTSA

does not anticipate any economic

impact from this rulemaking action.

Paperwork Reduction Act: In

accordance with the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1980 (P.L. 96–511),

there are no requirements for

information collection associated with

this rule.

National Environmental Policy Act:

NHTSA has also analyzed this rule

under the National Environmental

Policy Act and determined that it will

not have a significant impact on the

human environment.

Executive Order 12612 (Federalism):

NHTSA has analyzed this rule in

accordance with the principles and

criteria contained in E.O. 12612, and
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 86 / Thursday, May 2, 1996 / Rules and Regulations 19561

1 During this review, the agency identified

another obsolete reference in S7 which was deleted

in a December 13, 1995, final rule (60 FR 63965).

has determined that this rule will not

have significant federalism implications

to warrant the preparation of a

Federalism Assessment.

Civil Justice Reform: This rule does

not have any retroactive effect. Under 49

U.S.C. 30103, whenever a Federal motor

vehicle safety standard is in effect, a

State may not adopt or maintain a safety

standard applicable to the same aspect

of performance which is not identical to

the Federal standard, except to the

extent that the state requirement

imposes a higher level of performance

and applies only to vehicles procured

for the State’s use. 49 U.S.C. 30161 sets

forth a procedure for judicial review of

final rules establishing, amending or

revoking Federal motor vehicle safety

standards. That section does not require

submission of a petition for

reconsideration or other administrative

proceedings before parties may file suit

in court.

List of Subjects in 49 CFR Part 571

Imports, Motor vehicle safety, Motor

vehicles.

In consideration of the foregoing, 49

CFR Part 571 is amended as follows:

PART 571—FEDERAL MOTOR

VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS

1. The authority citation for Part 571

of Title 49 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 322, 30111, 30115,

30117, and 30166; delegation of authority at

49 CFR 1.50.

2. § 571.210 is amended by removing

paragraph S6(c) and S7.

Issued on April 25, 1996.

Ricardo Martinez,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 96–10789 Filed 5–1–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

49 CFR Part 571

[Docket No. 96–29, Notice 01]

RIN 2127–AG28

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety

Standards; Hydraulic Brake Systems

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration (NHTSA),

Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Final rule, technical

amendment.

SUMMARY: This document deletes an

obsolete section of Standard No. 105,

Hydraulic brake systems, that relates to

an optional burnish procedure. This

section is obsolete because the time

period to which it specifies is in the

past.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This rule is effective

June 3, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

nonlegal issues: Mr. Robert M. Clarke,

Office of Crash Avoidance, telephone

(202) 366–4923.

For legal issues: Mr. Marvin Shaw,

Office of Chief Counsel, NCC–20, (202)

366–2992. Both may be reached at the

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration, 400 Seventh St., S.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20590.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant

to the President’s March 4, 1995,

directive, ‘‘Regulatory Reinvention

Initiative,’’ to the heads of departments

and agencies, NHTSA undertook a

review of all its regulations and

directives. During the course of this

review, the agency identified several

requirements and regulations that are

potential candidates for rescission. In

reviewing Standard No. 105, the agency

concluded that a section relating to the

optional burnish requirements in

S7.4.2.1(a) was obsolete and should be

deleted.1 The optional burnish

requirements applied to vehicles

manufactured before September 1, 1994,

because the agency wanted to provide

this option for a finite period of time. To

improve the clarity and conciseness of

Standard No. 105, the agency is deleting

S7.4.2.1(a) from the standard.

NHTSA finds good cause to make this

amendment effective 30 days after

publication of this document. This

amendment makes a minor change to

Standard No. 105.

NHTSA also finds for good cause that

notice and an opportunity for comment

on this document are unnecessary. This

document does not impose any

additional responsibilities on any

manufacturer. Instead, this document

simply removes an outdated provision

in the standard.

Rulemaking Analyses and Notices

Executive Order 12866 and DOT

Regulatory Policies and Procedures

This rulemaking document was not

reviewed under E.O. 12866, ‘‘Regulatory

Planning and Review.’’ Further, this

action has been determined to be not

‘‘significant’’ under the Department of

Transportation’s regulatory policies and

procedures. This rule removes an

outdated portion of Standard 105

without changing any of the

requirements in the standard. Because

this rule does not affect any substantive

requirement of the hydraulic brake

standard, its impacts are so minimal as

not to warrant preparation of a full

regulatory evaluation.

Regulatory Flexibility Act: NHTSA

has also considered the impacts of this

rule under the Regulatory Flexibility

Act. I hereby certify that this rule will

not have a significant economic impact

on a substantial number of small

entities. As noted above, this rule

simply removes an outdated portion of

Standard 105. It has no effect

whatsoever on the manufacture or sale

of vehicles.

National Environmental Policy Act:

NHTSA has also analyzed this rule

under the National Environmental

Policy Act and determined that it will

not have a significant impact on the

human environment.

Executive Order 12612 (Federalism):

NHTSA has analyzed this rule in

accordance with the principles and

criteria contained in E.O. 12612, and

has determined that this rule will not

have significant federalism implications

to warrant the preparation of a

Federalism Assessment.

Civil Justice Reform: This rule will not

have any retroactive effect. Under 49

U.S.C. 30103, whenever a Federal motor

vehicle safety standard is in effect, a

State may not adopt or maintain a safety

standard applicable to the same aspect

of performance which is not identical to

the Federal standard, except to the

extent that the state requirement

imposes a higher level of performance

and applies only to vehicles procured

for the State’s use. 49 U.S.C. 30161 sets

forth a procedure for judicial review of

final rules establishing, amending or

revoking Federal motor vehicle safety

standards. That section does not require

submission of a petition for

reconsideration or other administrative

proceedings before parties may file suit

in court.

List of Subjects in 49 CFR Part 571

Imports, Motor vehicle safety, Motor

vehicles, Rubber and rubber products,

Tires.

In consideration of the foregoing, the

agency is amending 49 CFR 571.105,

Hydraulic brake systems, to read as

follows:

PART 571—FEDERAL MOTOR

VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS

1. The authority citation for part 571

continues to read as follows:

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 322, 30111, 30115,

30117, and 30166; delegation of authority at

49 CFR 1.50.

§ 571.301 [Amended]

2. Section 571.105 is amended by

revising S7.4.2.1 to read as follows: