1625-0057_ss (2)

1625-0057

Supporting Statement

for

Small Passenger Vessels – Title 46 CFR

Subchapters K and T

A. Justification

1. Circumstances that make the collection necessary. Under the authority of the Secretary found in 46 U.S.C. 3305 and 3306, the Coast Guard must prescribe necessary regulations and conduct inspections of small passenger vessels to secure the safety of individuals and property on board. The regulations must address the design, construction, alteration, repair, and operation of these vessels, including requirements for lifesaving equipment, firefighting equipment, inspections, and tests. Based upon this mandate, the information requirements in the regulations are necessary to verify that tests, drills, and training is conducted by vessel personnel to ensure proper reaction when emergencies do occur.

The passenger and crew list requirements are based on the requirements of 46 U.S.C. 3502 as well as recommendations from National Transportation Safety Board and Coast Guard casualty investigations involving small passenger vessels.

This information collection supports the following strategic goals:

Department of Homeland Security

• Protection

• Prevention

Coast Guard

• Safety

• Protection of the Natural Resources

Prevention Directorate (G-P)

• Safety: Eliminate deaths, injuries, and property damage associated with commercial maritime operations.

• Human and Natural Environment: Eliminate environmental damage associated with maritime transportation and operations on and around the nation’s waterways.

2. How, by whom, and for what purpose the information is to be used.

The information requirements such as logging or otherwise documenting crew training, drills, and safety equipment testing provide inspectors with a means to verify compliance with requirements for proper safety equipment operation and crew emergency preparedness.

3. Use of improved technology.

Most of the Collection of Information requirements under this ICN are of a record keeping nature, such as the posting of labels and placards. The manner in which reporting requirements are satisfied depends on the element. Vessel drawings and calculations may be e-mailed to the Coast Guard Marine Safety Center, and permission to conduct repairs may be obtained by calling the local Coast Guard Sector.

We estimate that 99% of the reporting requirements can by done electronically. At this time, we estimate that approximately 10% of the responses are collected electronically.

4. Efforts to identify duplication.

There are no other agencies with similar requirements for small passenger vessels.

5. Methods used to minimize burden on small businesses or other small entities.

An estimated 95% of small passenger vessels inspected under Subchapter T (T-boats) are owned and operated by small businesses. The Coast Guard has taken steps to provide these business owners with flexibility and options to comply with certain requirements. Though the Coast Guard establishes a deadline to conduct inspection for Certification, a T-boat owner is able to submit an Application for Inspection well in advance of this deadline so that the inspection may be completed at a more convenient time. The requirements for voyage plans and passenger counts permit to the vessel owner to communicate the required information verbally or in writing to an place at the vessel’s normal berthing location or with the vessel’s owner, managing operator, or representative. The information must only be provided to the Government upon request.

6. Consequences of less frequent collection.

Reducing the frequency of collection would hinder or degrade the administration of the small passenger vessel inspection program.

7. Explain any special circumstances that would cause the information collection to be conducted in a manner inconsistent with the guidelines.

Information is collected in manner that is consistent with the guidelines.

8. Solicitation of comments and consultation with persons outside the agency.

The requirements of this information collection were presented for public comment in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act. .

9. Payments or gifts to respondents.

Respondents will not receive payments or gifts.

10. Assurances of confidentiality.

There are no assurances of confidentiality.

11. Questions of a sensitive nature.

The information collected is not sensitive.

12. Estimate of the burden hours and cost of the collection of information.

The annual industry reporting and recordkeeping burdens and costs are outlined in detail in Appendix 1, and summed in the following table. The number of respondents and recordkeepers for each reporting or posting requirement was estimated by using data captured from Marine Information for Safety and Law Enforcement (MISLE), and queries to Coast Guard District Offices. MISLE is a computerized system that contains details on all Coast Guard inspected vessels. The hours per response and annual hours per recordkeeper were estimated based upon the experiences of Coast Guard personnel.

TOTAL INDUSTRY BURDEN AND COST

	Burden	Cost
Recordkeeping	76,973	$2,917,595
Reporting	7,741	$294,176
Recordkeeping and Reporting	268,549	$10,204,848
Totals	353,263	$13,416,619

13. Estimate of annualized capital and start-up costs.

There are no annualized capital and start-up costs.

14. Annualized cost to the Federal Government.

The cost to the Federal Government results largely from man-hours reviewing reports from industry. Material costs are essentially nil, having been estimated in the past to amount to 1 to 3 percent of the total cost, based on similar reporting requirements. The details of the hour burden and cost to the Federal Government are detailed in Appendix 2 and summed in the following table.

TOTAL GOVERNMENT BURDEN AND COST

	Burden	Cost
Recordkeeping	5	$149
Reporting	7,397	$236,694
Recordkeeping and Reporting	26,183	$837,865
Totals	33,585	$1,074,709

15. Reasons for changes.

The change in burden is an ADJUSTMENT due to a reduction in fleet size and adjustments to the estimated time burden for various tasks.

16. Collection of information whose results will be published.

There is no plan to use statistical analysis or to publish this information.

17. Inappropriate display of OMB approval expiration date.

This is a recurring program and the requirements and forms that are used will not change. It would be inefficient and a poor use of agency funds to destroy dated forms every three years to change a date.

18. Exception to the certification statement.

There are no exceptions to the certification statement.

B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods.

This information collection does not employ statistical methods.

4 of 4