CG Announces TWIC Reader Meeting – 4-18-13

Today the Coast Guard published a meeting notice in the Federal Register (78 FR 18534-18535) for a public meeting on April 18^th, 2013 in Arlington, VA concerning the recently published TWIC Reader NPRM. According to the notice “provide an opportunity for oral comments. Coast Guard personnel will accept written comments and related materials at the public meeting as well.”

There is nothing in the notice that would indicate that the Coast Guard is intending to provide a presentation about the NPRM. It appears that this is just an opportunity for public comment. This probably explains why there is no mention in the notice of the electronic sharing (web cast or telephone bridge, for instance) of this meeting that we have come to expect from Coast Guard sponsored meetings. A written summary of the meeting and the oral comments will be posted to the rulemaking docket (www.Regulations.gov; Docket # USCG-2007-28915).

It does not appear that the Coast Guard intends to engage in a discussion about the publicly received comments at this meeting. Any official response to the comments will be found in the preamble to the final rule when it is published.

The notice does mention that there is a possibility that the Coast Guard may hold another public meeting on the NPRM before the comment period ends on May 21^st, 2013. A separate Federal Register notice would be published if that occurs.