Notice2021-27399
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Emergency Beacon Registrations
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
December 17, 2021
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 240 (Friday, December 17, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 240 (Friday, December 17, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71619-71620]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-27399]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Emergency Beacon Registrations
AGENCY: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment
preceding submission of the collection to OMB.
DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed
information collection must be received on or before February 15, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0d4c697f646863636823796562606c7e4d63626c6c236a627b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="95d4f1e7fcf0fbfbf0bbe1fdfaf8f4e6d5fbfaf4f4bbf2fae3">[email protected]</span></a>. Please
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0295 in the subject line of your
comments. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise
sensitive or protected information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed
to: LT Marisa Gedney, SARSAT Operations Support Officer, NOAA/NESDIS/
SARSAT, NSOF. E/SPO53 4231 Suitland Rd, Suitland, MD 20746, (202) 709-
3202, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#206f70730e736172736174606e6f61610e676f76"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="abe4fbf885f8eaf9f8eaffebe5e4eaea85ece4fd">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
The United States, Canada, France, and Russia operate the Search
and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking (COSPAS/SARSAT), a satellite system
with equipment that can detect and locate ships, aircraft and
individuals in distress if an emergency radio beacon is being carried.
This system is used to detect digitally encoded signals in the 406.000-
406.100 MHz range, coming from these emergency beacons. The 406.000-
406.100 MHz beacons transmit a unique identifier, making possible the
ability to combine previously collected data associated with that
beacon and transmit this vital data along with the beacon's position to
the appropriate rescue coordination center.
Persons buying 406.000-406.100 MHz emergency radio beacons are
required to register them with NOAA prior to installation. These
requirements are contained in Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
regulations at 47 CFR 80.1061, 47 CFR 87.199 and 47 CFR 95.1402.
The registration data is used to facilitate a rescue and to
suppress the costly consequences of false alarms, which if unsuppressed
would initiate the launch of a rescue mission and thereby deplete
limited resources and possibly result in the loss of lives. This is
accomplished through the use of the data provided to the rescue forces
from the beacon registration database maintained by the NOAA's United
States Mission Control Center (USMCC) for Search and Rescue, to contact
the distressed person(s) or alternate party via a phone call or radio
broadcast. Other data provides rescuers with descriptive material of
the element in distress. The registration information must be kept up-
to-date.
Four registration forms are used. The EPIRB (Emergency Position
Indicating Radio Beacon) form is used for nautical beacons. The ELT
(Emergency Locator Transmitter) form is used for aircraft beacons. The
PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) is used to register portable beacons
carried by individuals. Ship Security Alerting System (SSAS) beacons
are carried aboard ships, are similar to EPIRBs and are used in the
event of an emergency situation such as piracy or terrorism.
These forms are being updated in response to the development of
406MHz second generation beacons (SGBs), which are in development and
are projected to be available to the public in 2023. Changes to the
forms are as follows:
23-Hex Beacon ID line: SGBs have 23-character hexadecimal unique
identifiers. NOAA's 406 MHz Beacon Registration Database (RGDB)
currently allows registrations for first generation beacons (FGBs) that
contain 15-character hexadecimal identifiers. Once SGBs are on the
market, beacon owners will have the capability to register either FGBs
or SGBs in the RGDB. Even though each registration will be for only one
beacon ID, the hardcopy registration form must contain separate lines
for FGBs and SGBs due to the differing number of characters and their
presentation on manufacture labels and packaging--FGB IDs are presented
in
[[Page 71620]]
groups of 5-5-5 and SGB IDs will be 6-6-6-5.
Old 23-Hex ID: This field was added to enable registration of a
replacement SGB beacon. The RGDB will continue to capture data for both
FGB and SBG replacements.
Beacon Serial No.: This field was added to capture the beacon's
serial number, which appears on the manufacturer-supplied label and/or
on the beacon or its packaging. The serial number provides additional
verification of the beacon ID and can be used by RGDB staff to resolve
cases of incorrect or duplicate beacon IDs.
Other: An Automatic Identification System (AIS) Maritime Mobile
Service Identity (MMSI) number was added to the EPIRB form. The
following fields were added to the PLB form to provide additional
pertinent information to search and rescue (SAR) forces: Radio Call
Sign (on EPIRB form), Vessel MMSI # (on EPIRB form), AIS MMSI # (just
added to EPIRB form), and Aircraft Registration (Tail) No. (on ELT
form).
II. Method of Collection
Respondents may either: (1) Obtain the forms electronically via the
internet at <a href="https://beaconregistration.noaa.gov">https://beaconregistration.noaa.gov</a>, download, complete,
sign and mail or fax or (2) register directly on the website, in which
case the signature requirement is waived.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0648-0295.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Review: Regular submission: Revision.
Affected Public: Individuals or households; Business or other for-
profit organizations; Not-for-profit institutions; State, Local, or
Tribal government; Federal government.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 337,241.
Estimated Time per Response: 15 minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 84,311.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $2,282,298.77.
Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
Legal Authority: Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
regulations at 47 CFR 80.1061, 47 CFR 87.199 and 47 CFR 95.1402.
IV. Request for Comments
We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available
at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2021-27399 Filed 12-16-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-HR-P
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This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.