Notice2026-10260
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Regional Coastal Observing Systems (RCOS)
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
May 22, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 99 (Friday, May 22, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 99 (Friday, May 22, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30286-30287]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-10260]
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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; Regional Coastal Observing Systems (RCOS)
The Department of Commerce will submit the following information
collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for
review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995, on or after the date of publication of this notice. We invite 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. Public comments were previously requested via the
Federal Register on September 10, 2025 during a 60-day comment period.
This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.
Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Commerce.
Title: Regional Coastal Observing Systems (RCOS).
OMB Control Number: 0648-0672.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Request: Regular submission [reinstatement with minor
administrative change to update name of the program and reduce burden
hours].
[[Page 30287]]
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations; Not-
for-profit institutions; State, Local, or Tribal government; Federal
government.
Number of Respondents: 11.
Average Hours per Response: 75 hours.
Total Annual Burden Hours: 300.
Needs and Uses: This is a request for reinstatement of a previously
approved information collection. The specific information collected has
not changed since the original collection. The National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing
System (IOOS) is a national-regional partnership working to provide new
tools and forecasts to improve safety, enhance the economy, and protect
our environment. The Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System
Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111-11) (ICOOS Act), as amended by the Coordinated
Ocean Observations and Research Act of 2020 (COORA) (Pub. L. 116-271,
Title I) (33 U.S.C. 3601-3610), directed the President, acting through
the National Ocean Research Leadership Council, to establish a National
Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System (System). 33 U.S.C.
3603(a). The ICOOS Act directs NOAA, as the lead Federal agency for
implementing and administering the System, to ``promulgate program
guidelines--to certify and integrate regional associations into the
System.'' 33 U.S.C. 3603(c)(3)(C).
In response to the ICOOS Act's mandate, NOAA promulgated final
regulations identifying program guidelines for the compliance
procedures and requirements for certifying Regional Information
Coordination Entities (RICEs), now known as Regional Coastal Observing
Systems (RCOS). 15 CFR 997.1-997.26. The program guidelines identify
the process and requirements for certifying the RCOSs. Submission of an
application by an organization for certification as a RCOS is
voluntary, and there is no deadline for an entity to submit an
application to be certified. The organization's application is used to
collect information required by IOOS's regulations in order for IOOS to
certify the organization as an RCOS and integrate it into the System.
When certified, RCOSs are integrated into the System through a
memorandum of agreement with NOAA and for the purposes of determining
that liability arising from the dissemination and use of observation
data shall be considered part of NOAA, and, with respect to tort
liability, designated employees of the RCOS will be deemed to be an
employee of the Federal government.
RCOSs operate regional observing networks throughout the United
States, including the Pacific Islands and the Caribbean, and have
implemented specific practices in regard to data collection,
governance, and management. They must submit rigorous documentation of
these practices to the IOOS offices for review and verification. This
vetting process is thorough and requires a collaborative relationship
between the organization and the IOOS Program staff.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations; Not-
for-profit institutions; State, Local, or Tribal government; Federal
government.
Frequency: Once every five years.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Legal Authority: 33 U.S.C. 3601-3610; 15 CFR 997.1-997.26.
This information collection request may be viewed at
<a href="http://www.reginfo.gov">www.reginfo.gov</a>. Follow the instructions to view the Department of
Commerce collections currently under review by OMB.
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information
collection should be submitted within 30 days of the publication of
this notice on the following website <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>.
Find this particular information collection by selecting ``Currently
under 30-day Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search
function and entering either the title of the collection or the OMB
Control Number 0648-0672.
Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Compliance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2026-10260 Filed 5-21-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-NE-P
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