Document ID: FMCSA-2011-0131-0004
Agency: fmcsa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Meetings: FMCSA Advisory Committee and Joint Public Meeting with Medical Review Board
Posted Date: 2011-11-21T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 224 (Monday, November 21, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72030-72031]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-29960]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

[Docket Nos. FMCSA-2006-26367 and FMCSA-2011-0131]

Public Meeting of Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee and 
Joint Public Meeting With Medical Review Board

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: FMCSA announces that MCSAC will hold a meeting on Monday-
Thursday, December 5-8, 2011, which will include a joint meeting on 
Wednesday, December 7, 2011, with the MRB. All four days of the meeting 
will be open to the public for their duration.

DATES: Time and Dates: The MCSAC meeting will be held on Monday-
Tuesday, December 5-6, 2011, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern Time 
(E.T.), and on Thursday, December 8, 2011, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., 
E.T. On Tuesday, December 6, 2011, the Cross-Border Trucking Pilot 
Program subcommittee will meet from 3:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., E.T. 
Additionally, the joint MCSAC-MRB meeting will be held on Wednesday, 
December 7, 2011, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., E.T. The meetings will be 
held at the Hilton Alexandria Old Town, 1767 King Street, Alexandria, 
VA 22314 in the Washington and Jefferson Rooms on the 2nd floor. The 
Hilton Alexandria Old Town is located across the street from the King 
Street Metro station.
    Matters To Be considered: The MCSAC will consider the report of its 
EOBR Implementation Subcommittee established in response to Task 11-04. 
The MCSAC will also return to Task 11-02 regarding roadside violation 
severity weightings in the Carrier Safety Measurement System in FMCSA's 
CSA program and will meet to be updated on data regarding the cross 
border trucking pilot program with Mexico. Additionally, during their 
joint meeting, the MCSAC and MRB will consider expert presentations on 
obstructive sleep apnea and its relationship to the population of CMV 
drivers. Finally, the MCSAC will meet to be updated on recently 
completed, FMCSA-sponsored research on motorcoach HOS and to begin the 
process of setting up a subcommittee to consider ideas and concepts on 
motorcoach HOS for recommendation to the MCSAC and for its 
consideration and submission to the FMCSA Administrator. Copies of all 
MCSAC Task Statements and an agenda for the entire 4-day meeting are 
available at http://mcsac.fmcsa.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Shannon L. Watson, Senior Advisor 
to the Associate Administrator for Policy, Federal Motor Carrier Safety 
Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, (202) 385-2395, mcsac@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 
Elizabeth Turner at (617) 494-2068, elizabeth.turner@dot.gov, by 
Wednesday, November 30, 2011.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

MCSAC

    Section 4144 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient 
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU, Pub. L. 109-
59, 119 Stat. 1144, August 10, 2005) required the Secretary of 
Transportation to establish the MCSAC. The MCSAC provides advice and 
recommendations to the FMCSA Administrator on motor carrier safety 
programs and regulations, and operates in accordance with the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act (FACA, 5 U.S.C. App 2).

MRB

    Section 4116 of the SAFETEA-LU requires the Secretary of 
Transportation, with the advice of the MRB, to ``establish, review, and 
revise medical standards for operators of CMVs that will ensure that 
the physical condition of operators of CMVs is adequate to enable them 
to operate the vehicles safely.'' On November 2, 2010, the Secretary of 
Transportation announced the five medical experts who serve on the MRB. 
FMCSA is planning revisions to the physical qualification regulations 
of CMV drivers, and the MRB will provide the necessary science-based 
guidance to establish realistic and responsible medical standards. The 
MRB operates in accordance with FACA.

Sleep Apnea and Other Sleep Disorders

    The MCSAC and the MRB will discuss ideas and concepts the Agency 
should consider for regulatory guidance or future rulemaking on 
obstructive sleep apnea.

EOBR Implementation Task

    The MCSAC EOBR Implementation Subcommittee will report back to the 
full committee on its work on Task 11-04, examining technical issues 
relating to the electronic transfer of hours-of service information 
from trucks to law enforcement personnel at the roadside.

Roadside Violation Severity Weightings Task

    The MCSAC will continue its deliberations on Task 11-02, concerning 
violation severity weightings under the CSA program.

Cross Border Trucking Pilot Program Task

    The MCSAC Subcommittee will receive an update on the opening of the 
Southern Border to long-haul Mexican trucks.

Hours-of-Service for Passenger-Carrying Drivers of CMVs

    The MCSAC will begin consideration of Task 11-06, to begin the 
process of setting up a subcommittee to consider ideas and concepts on 
motorcoach HOS.

II. Meeting Participation

    Oral comments from the public will be heard during the last hour of 
the meetings on Monday-Wednesday, and during the last 15 minutes of the 
meeting on Thursday. Members of the public may submit written comments 
on the topics to be considered during the meeting by Wednesday, 
November 30, 2011, to Federal Docket Management System (FDMC) Docket 
Number FMCSA-2006-26367 using any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the

[[Page 72031]]

online instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: 202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building, Room W12-
140, Washington, DC 20590.
     Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE, Room W12-140, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 
p.m., E.T. Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

    Issued on: November 15, 2011.
Larry W. Minor,
Associate Administrator for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2011-29960 Filed 11-18-11; 8:45 am]
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