31086 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 119 / Wednesday, June 19, 1996 / Proposed Rules

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March

14, 1996, FRA published its NPRM on

Roadway Worker Protection. The NPRM

was the product of FRA’s first

negotiated rulemaking. Consistent with

the Administrative Procedures Act (5

U.S.C. § 553), FRA solicited and

received comments on the proposed

rule. In accordance with spirit of the

Negotiated Rulemaking Act (5 U.S.C.

§ 561 et seq.) FRA is allowing the

Committee to consider these comments

and make a recommendation to FRA

regarding their status prior to issuing a

Final Rule. FRA continues to believe

that public participation is critical to the

success of this process. This negotiating

session will be open to the public,

pursuant to the Federal Advisory

Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–463).

S. Mark Lindsey,

Chief Counsel, Federal Railroad

Administration.

[FR Doc. 96–15562 Filed 6–18–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

49 CFR Part 571

[Docket No. 95–98; Notice No. 2]

Public Meeting on School Bus

Transportation.

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting;

request for comments.

SUMMARY: This notice announces a

public meeting at which NHTSA will

seek information about school bus

transportation. NHTSA held a national

meeting on February 14, 1996. In

response to comments received at the

February meeting, NHTSA is holding

regional meetings. NHTSA is seeking

information from school bus

manufacturers, school transportation

providers, and other members of the

public on issues related to the

transportation of school children.

NHTSA is also requesting suggestions

for actions with respect to NHTSA’s

regulations and Federal Motor Vehicle

Safety Standards (FMVSS) that govern

the manufacture of school buses. This

notice also invites written comments on

the same subject.

DATES: Public meeting: The meeting will

be held on August 15, 1996 at 9:00 a.m.

Those wishing to make oral

presentations at the meeting should

contact Charles Hott, at the address or

telephone number listed below, by

August 8, 1996.

Written comments: Written comments

may be submitted to the agency and

must be received by September 16,

1996.

ADDRESSES: Public meeting: The public

meeting will be held at the following

location: Holiday Inn, 411 South Larkin,

Joliet, IL 60436, Tel: (815) 729–2000.

Written comments: All written

comments (preferably 10 copies) should

be mailed to the Docket Section,

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration, Room 5109, 400 7th

Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590.

Please refer to the docket number when

submitting written comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Charles Hott, Office of Vehicle Safety

Standards, NPS–15, NHTSA, 400 7th

Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590

(telephone 202–366–0247, Fax: 202–

366–4329).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Regulatory Reform

Calling for a new approach to the way

Government regulates the private sector,

President Clinton asked Executive

Branch agencies to improve the

regulatory process. Specifically, the

President requested that agencies: (1)

cut obsolete regulations; (2) reward

agency and regulator performance by

rewarding results, not red tape; (3)

create grassroots partnerships by

meeting with those affected by

regulations and other interested parties;

and (4) use consensual rulemaking, such

as regulatory negotiation, more

frequently.

NHTSA previously announced public

meetings to create grassroots

partnerships with regulated industries

and other affected parties that do not

deal with NHTSA on a routine basis. By

meeting with these groups, NHTSA

believes that it can build a better

understanding of their needs and

concerns.

At the February 14, 1996 public

meeting on school bus transportation

commenters suggested that NHTSA hold

public meetings in different regions of

the country. By holding regional public

meetings on school bus transportation,

NHTSA hopes to obtain the views from

those parties affected by school bus

transportation and the public on the

local issues, as well as, national issues.

NHTSA believes that their views are

important because school bus

transportation is an issue that affects

most school districts in the United

States. This meeting is a way of

obtaining information from those

persons that do not attend the national

meetings on school transportation on a

regular basis. NHTSA has decided to

hold these meetings based on the

geographic locations served by the

NHTSA Regional Offices. This meeting

is being held in NHTSA Region 5 which

includes the following States: Illinois;

Indiana; Michigan; Minnesota; Ohio;

and Wisconsin. Interested parties from

these states are encouraged to attend.

However, parties from other states are

also welcome.

NHTSA recognizes that manufacturers

who build school buses operate under

different conditions than manufacturers

of passenger cars and trucks. In

addition, the agency is aware that

school transportation providers and

school bus manufacturers share a

common interest in matters relating to

pupil transportation safety. Therefore,

the agency has decided to hold public

meetings to listen to the views of these

groups and others in order to be better

informed of their specific needs. The

agency is interested in obtaining their

views on how it can improve its

regulations that govern the manufacture

of school buses. Suggestions should be

accompanied by a statement of the

rationale for the suggested action and of

the expected consequences of that

action. Suggestions should address at

least the following considerations:

Administrative/compliance burdens

Cost effectiveness

Costs of the existing regulation and the

proposed changes to consumers

Costs of testing or certification to regulated

parties

Effects on safety

Effects on small businesses

Enforceability of the standard

Whether the suggestion reflects a ‘‘common

sense’’ approach to solving the problem

Statements should be as specific as

possible and provide the best available

supporting information. Statements also

should specify whether any change

recommended in the regulatory process

would require a legislative change in

NHTSA’s authority.

Other Topics of Interest

In recent years there have been many

changes to the Federal requirements for

school buses. These new requirements

include stop arms for all school buses,

more emergency exits for most of the

larger school buses, performance

requirements for wheelchair restraints

in school buses, and mirror systems that

are performance based instead of design

based. Future requirements includes

antilock brake systems for large school

buses and may require small school

buses to meet Standard No. 221, joint

strength.

Improvements have been made to the

safety of the school bus loading zones.

The stop arm and mirror requirements
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 119 / Wednesday, June 19, 1996 / Proposed Rules 31087

were implemented to reduce the

number of loading zone injuries and

fatalities. However, changes in clothing

style and design have resulted in

snagging and dragging injuries to bus

occupants departing from the school

bus. Most manufacturers have

implemented recalls to modify handrail

designs.

The agency is interested in your views

on how the above regulations and

developments have affected school bus

safety. Have increased costs of school

buses affected the normal replacement

cycle for your school buses?

There have also been many changes to

the Federal requirements for school bus

drivers. School bus drivers are now

required to possess a commercial

drivers license which requires preemployment drug tests and random

drug and alcohol tests. Staff from the

Federal Highway Administration will be

available to answer questions at the

meeting.

Procedural Matters

The agency intends to conduct the

meeting informally so as to allow for

maximum participation by all who

attend. Interested persons may ask

questions or provide comments during

any period after a party has completed

its presentation, on a time allowed basis

as determined by the presiding official.

If time permits, persons who have not

requested time to speak, but would like

to make a statement, will be afforded an

opportunity to do so.

The agency is interested in obtaining

the views of its customers both orally

and in writing. An agenda for the

meeting will be made based on the

number of persons wishing to make oral

presentations and will be available on

the day of the meeting.

Those speaking at the public meeting

should limit their presentations to 20

minutes. If the presentation will include

slides, motion pictures, or other visual

aids, please indicate so that the proper

equipment may be made available.

Presenters should bring at least one

copy of their presentation to the meeting

so that NHTSA can readily include the

material in the public record.

A schedule of participants making

oral presentations will be available at

the designated meeting room. NHTSA

will place a copy of any written

statement in the docket for this notice.

Participation in the meeting is not a

prerequisite for the submission of

written comments. NHTSA invites

written comments from all interested

parties. It is requested but not required

that 10 copies be submitted.

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, Room 5219, at

the street address given above, and

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 will be

considered. Comments will be available

for inspection in the docket.

After the closing date, NHTSA will

continue to file relevant information in

the docket as it becomes available. It is

therefore recommended that interested

persons continue to examine the docket

for new material.

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

30117, and 30166; delegation of authority at

49 CFR 1.50.

Issued: June 14, 1996.

Barry Felrice,

Associate Administrator for Safety

Performance Standards.

[FR Doc. 96–15593 Filed 6–18–96; 8:45 am]

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