Document ID: FMCSA-2009-0150-0001
Agency: fmcsa
Document Type: Rule
Title: Medical Review Board Public Meeting
Posted Date: 2009-06-12T04:00Z

[Federal Register: June 12, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 112)]
[Notices]               
[Page 28093-28094]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12jn09-114]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

[Docket No. FMCSA-2009-0150]

 
Medical Review Board Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of Medical Review Board (MRB) public meeting.

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SUMMARY: FMCSA announces a public meeting of the Agency's MRB. The MRB 
public meeting will provide the public an opportunity to observe MRB 
deliberations about FMCSA's medical standards, and provide comments to 
the MRB in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).

DATES: The MRB meeting will be held from 9 a.m.-4:20 p.m. on Wednesday, 
July 1, 2009. Please refer to the preliminary agenda for this meeting 
in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice for specific 
information.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place at the United States Department 
of Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Conference Room 8, 9, 
10, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. You may submit 
comments bearing the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) Docket ID 
FMCSA-2009-0150 using any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line instructions for submitting 
comments.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., West Building Ground 
Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery: West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
    Each submission must include the Agency name and the docket ID for 
this Notice. Note that DOT posts all comments received without change 
to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
included in a comment. Please see the Privacy Act heading below.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments, go to http://www.regulations.gov at any time or Room W12-140 
on the ground level of the West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., 
Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays. The FDMS is available 24 hours each day, 365 
days each year. If you want acknowledgment that we received your 
comments, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope or postcard 
or print the acknowledgement page that appears after submitting 
comments on-line.
    Privacy Act: Anyone may search the electronic form of all comments 
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or of the person signing the comment, if 
submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.).
    You may review the DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the 
Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19476). This 
information is also available at http://Docketinfo.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Mary D. Gunnels, Director, Medical 
Programs, (202) 366-4001, fmcsamedical@dot.gov, FMCSA, Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Room W64-224, Washington, 
DC 20590-0001. Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Information on Services for Individuals with Disabilities:
    For information on facilities or services for individuals with 
disabilities or to request special assistance at the meeting, contact 
Jennifer Musick at 703-998-0189 ext. 237.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The preliminary agenda for the meeting 
includes: *
0900-0905 Call to Order, Introduction and Agenda Review.
0905-0935 Psychiatric Disorders and CMV Driver Safety Evidence Report 
Presentation.
0935-1005 Psychiatric Disorders and CMV Driver Safety Medical Expert 
Panel Presentation Public Comment on ICDs and CRT: Implications for 
Driving a CMV.
1005-1020 Public Comment on Psychiatric Disorders and CMV Driver 
Safety.
1020-1120 MRB Deliberation on Psychiatric Disorders and CMV Driver 
Safety.
1120-1150 Circadian Rhythm Disorders, Parasomnias, Sleep-Related 
Movement Disorders, Hypersomnias of Central Origin and CMV Driver 
Safety Evidence Report Presentation.**
1150-1205 Public Comment on Circadian Rhythm Disorders, Parasomnias, 
Sleep-Related Movement Disorders, Hypersomnias of Central Origin and 
CMV Driver Safety.
1205-1305 Lunch (on your own). ***
1305-1335 MRB Deliberations on Circadian Rhythm Disorders, Parasomnias, 
Sleep-Related Movement Disorders, Hypersomnias of Central Origin and 
CMV Driver Safety Evidence Report Presentation.
1335-1405 Musculoskeletal Disorders II, Spinal Cord Injury and CMV 
Driver Safety Evidence Report Presentation.
1405-1420 Public Comment on Musculoskeletal Disorders II, Spinal Cord 
Injury and CMV Driver Safety.
1420-1450 MRB Deliberations on Musculoskeletal Disorders II, Spinal 
Cord Injury and CMV Driver Safety.
1450-1520 Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs) and Cardiac 
Resynchronization Therapy (CRT): Implications for Driving a CMV 
Evidence Report Presentation.
1520-1535 Public Comment on ICDs and CRT: Implications for Driving a 
CMV.
1535-1605 MRB Deliberations on ICDs and CRT: Implications for Driving a 
CMV.
1605-1620 Other Business.
1620 Call to Adjourn.
* Agenda is subject to change.
** This topic does not include sleep apnea which was previously 
addressed by the MRB in January 2008.
*** Breaks will be announced on meeting day and may be adjusted 
according to schedule changes, other meeting requirements.

Background

    The U.S. Secretary of Transportation announced on March 7, 2006, 
the five medical experts who serve on FMCSA's Medical Review Board 
(MRB). Section 4116 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient 
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU, Pub. L. 109-
59) requires the Secretary of Transportation with the advice of the MRB 
to ``establish, review, and revise medical standards for operators of 
Commercial Motor Vehicles (CMVs) that will ensure that the physical 
condition of operators is adequate to enable them to operate the 
vehicles safely.'' FMCSA is planning updates 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 the Federal Advisory Committee 
Act (FACA) as announced in the Federal

[[Page 28094]]

Register (70 FR 57642, October 3, 2005). The MRB is charged initially 
with the review of all current FMCSA medical standards (49 CFR 391.41), 
as well as making recommendations for new science-based standards and 
guidelines to ensure that drivers operating CMVs in interstate 
commerce, as defined in CFR 390.5, are physically capable of doing so.

Meeting Participation

    Attendance is open to the interested public, including medical 
examiners, motor carriers, drivers, and representatives of medical and 
scientific associations. Written comments for this MRB meeting will 
also be accepted beginning on June 12, 2009 and continuing until July 
15, 2009, and should include the docket ID that is listed in the 
ADDRESSES section.
    During the MRB meeting, oral comments may be limited depending on 
how many persons wish to comment; and will be accepted on a first come, 
first serve basis as requestors register at the meeting. The comments 
must directly address relevant medical and scientific issues on the MRB 
meeting agenda. For more information, please view the following Web 
site: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/mrb.

    Issued on: June 5, 2009.
Larry W. Minor,
Associate Administrator for Policy and Program Development.
[FR Doc. E9-13785 Filed 6-11-09; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-EX-P