Advisory Committee on Underride Protection Publication: Federal Register Signing Official: Raymond R. Posten Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Date: 6 July 2022

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 6, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40346-40347]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-14329]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2022-0052]


Advisory Committee on Underride Protection

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 
Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Solicitation of nominations for appointment to the advisory 
committee on Underride Protection (ACUP).

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SUMMARY: NHTSA is soliciting applications for appointment to the U.S. 
Department of Transportation's (DOT) ACUP. The purpose of ACUP is to 
provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Transportation 
on safety regulations to reduce underride crashes and fatalities 
relating to underride crashes.

DATES: Applications for membership must be received by NHTSA on or 
before 5 p.m. EST, August 5, 2022.

ADDRESSES: If you wish to apply for membership, your application should 
be submitted to:
     Email: ACUP@dot.gov.
     Mail: Use only overnight mail and send to: U.S. Department 
of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 
Office of Rulemaking, Attn: ACUP, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, NRM-130, 
Washington, DC 20590.
    The ACUP charter can be found in the docket to this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Myers, Chief, Special Vehicles 
and Systems Division, Office of Rulemaking, National Highway Traffic 
Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, 
James.Myers@dot.gov or 202-493-0031. Any committee related questions 
should be sent to the person listed in this section.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    ACUP is established pursuant to Section 23011(d) of the Bipartisan 
Infrastructure Law (BIL), enacted as the Infrastructure Investment and 
Jobs Act,

[[Page 40347]]

Public Law 117-58, which requires the creation of an advisory committee 
on underride protection, and in accordance with the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. app. 2. ACUP provides information, advice, and 
recommendations to the Secretary of Transportation on safety 
regulations to reduce underride crashes and fatalities relating to 
underride crashes.

Description of Duties

    The Committee shall act solely in an advisory capacity. Duties 
include the following:
    a. Gather information as necessary to discuss issues presented by 
the Designated Federal Officer (DFO).
    b. Deliberate on issues relevant to safety regulations related to 
underride crashes and fatalities from underride crashes.
    c. Provide written consensus advice to the Secretary on underride 
protection to reduce underride crashes and fatalities relating to 
underride crashes.
    d. Submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 
of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of 
the House of Representatives a biennial report that--
    i. describes the advice and recommendations made to the Secretary; 
and
    ii. includes an assessment of progress made by the Secretary in 
advancing safety regulations relating to underride crashes.

Membership

    In accordance with BIL, ACUP will comprise not more than 20 members 
who are qualified to serve on the Committee because of their expertise, 
training, or experience. The Committee shall include two 
representatives from each of the following categories:

 Truck and trailer manufacturers.
 Motor carriers, including independent owner-operators.
 Law enforcement.
 Motor vehicle engineers.
 Motor vehicle crash investigators.
 Truck safety organizations.
 The insurance industry.
 Emergency medical service providers.
 Families of underride crash victims.
 Labor organizations.

    To ensure the recommendations of the Committee have considered the 
needs of diverse groups served by the Department, the membership of the 
Committee shall, to the extent practicable, include persons with lived 
experience and knowledge of the needs of underrepresented groups with 
regard to race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, 
gender identity, and other factors.
    The Secretary of Transportation shall appoint each member for the 
duration of the charter, which is 2 years, unless otherwise renewed in 
accordance with FACA. The Secretary may reappoint a member or terminate 
any member's tenure at his discretion. The Secretary may extend 
appointments and may appoint replacements for members who have resigned 
outside a stated term, as necessary. If a member's status as a 
representative of an identified category materially changes after 
appointment, the member's representative status will be terminated, 
unless certain requirements are met. These requirements include the 
following: (1) continued active involvement in the identified category, 
(2) the concurrence by the NHTSA Administrator with the 
representative's continued participation, (3) the member's continued 
participation is consistent with applicable statutory authorities and 
Presidential directives, and the (4) the member's continued 
participation is deemed essential for the fulfillment of the 
committee's mission.
    ACUP members will not receive pay or other compensation from NHTSA 
for their ACUP service, but are entitled to reimbursement of their 
travel expenses, including per diem. The ACUP shall meet at least once 
a year.

Qualifications

    Members will be selected for their expertise, training, or 
experience and their ability to represent one of the identified 
categories.

Materials To Submit

    Qualified individuals interested in serving on the ACUP are invited 
to apply for appointment by submitting a resume or curriculum vitae 
along with letters of recommendation to one of the locations listed in 
the ADDRESSES section by the deadline listed in the DATES section. 
Please include your full legal name and date of birth in your 
application. Each applicant must identify the category that he or she 
seeks to represent. Nominations are open to all individuals without 
regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, mental or 
physical disability, marital status, or sexual orientation. Evaluations 
will be based on the materials submitted.
    Authority: Issued under authority in 49 CFR 1.95 and 501.8.

Raymond R. Posten,
Associate Administrator for Rulemaking.
[FR Doc. 2022-14329 Filed 7-5-22; 8:45 am]
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