Seamen's Service Awards; Amendment Replacing Gulf of Mexico With Gulf of America

MARAD issues this final rule without prior notice and the opportunity for public comment and the 30-day delayed effective date ordinarily prescribed by the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), general notice and the opportunity for public comment are not required with respect to a rulemaking when an “agency for good cause finds (and incorporates the finding and a brief statement of reasons therefor in the rules issued) that notice and public procedure thereon are impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest.” MARAD has determined that there is good cause to waive the opportunity for prior notice and comment, finding it unnecessary with respect to a geographic name change effectuated previously by Executive direction and for factual clerical changes such as updating citations to authority, physical office addresses, and

office names. Neither of these updates imposes any regulatory requirements or costs on members of the public. MARAD waives the 30-day delay in effective date under 5 U.S.C. 553(d) for the same reasons.

Executive Orders 12866, 13563, 14192 and DOT Rulemaking Procedures

Executive Order (E.O.) 12866, as supplemented by E.O. 13563, provides for determining whether a regulatory action is “significant” and therefore subject to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) review and to the requirements of E.O. 12866.

Today's final rule is not significant and has not been reviewed by OMB under E.O. 12866. This rule is limited to conforming the agency's implementing regulation at 46 CFR part 350 to a geographic name change previously effectuated by Executive direction and making clerical updates to citations of authority, physical office addresses, office names. This rule does not result in any changes to costs or benefits.

Executive Order 14192, titled “Unleashing Prosperity through Deregulation,” directs that, unless prohibited by law, whenever an executive department or agency publicly proposes for notice and comment or otherwise promulgates a new regulation, it must identify at least two existing regulations to be repealed. In addition, any new incremental costs of all new regulations must be significantly less than zero. Only those rules deemed significant under section 3(f) of Executive Order 12866, “Regulatory Planning and Review,” are subject to these requirements. Per OMB Memo M-25-20, E.O. 14192 applies to a rulemaking action that is “a significant regulatory action as defined in Section 3(f) of E.O. 12866 that has been finalized and that imposes total costs greater than zero.” As discussed above, this rule provides clerical updates to the regulation and changes the name “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America.” Accordingly, this action is neither a regulatory nor a deregulatory rule under Executive Order 14192.

Decoration, Seamen.

Accordingly, the Department of Transportation amends 46 CFR Part 350 as follows:

PART 350--SEAMEN'S SERVICE AWARDS

0 1. Revise the authority citation for part 350 to read as follows:

Authority: 46 U.S.C. chapter 519; 49 U.S.C. 322(a); 49 CFR 1.93.

0 2. Revise Sec. 350.1 to read as follows:

Sec. 350.1 Purpose.

The purpose of this part is to prescribe regulations to implement 46 U.S.C. chapter 519 to authorize the issue of decorations, medals, and other recognition for service in the U.S. merchant marine, and for other purposes, and to provide for the replacement of awards previously issued for service in the U.S. merchant marine under prior law.

0 3. Amend Sec. 350.2 by revising paragraph (c) to read as follows:

Sec. 350.2 Special medals and awards.

* * * * *

(c) Inquiries. Direct all inquiries concerning eligibility and procedures for the issuance of these medals to Maritime Administrator, Attention: Seamen's Service Awards, Maritime Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.

0 4. Amend Sec. 350.3 by revising paragraph (a)(7) to read as follows:

Sec. 350.3 Other original recognition of service.

* * * * *

(a) * * *

(7) Atlantic War Zone Bar and Medal, awarded to merchant seamen who served in the Atlantic War Zone, including the North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Gulf of America, Caribbean, Barents Sea, and the Greenland Sea,

between December 7, 1941, and November 8, 1945. * * * * *

0 5. Amend Sec. 350.4 by: 0 a. Revising paragraph (c); and 0 b. Removing paragraphs (d) and (e).

The revision reads as follows:

Sec. 350.4 Eligibility for awards.

* * * * *

(c) Inquiries. The information establishing eligibility, along with a written request must be directed to Maritime Administrator, Attention: Seamen's Service Awards, Maritime Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.

0 6. Revise Sec. 350.5 to read as follows:

Sec. 350.5 Replacement decorations.

Decorations that have been previously issued may be replaced at cost upon written request made to Maritime Administrator, Attention: Seamen's Service Awards, Maritime Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.

(Authority: 46 U.S.C. Chapter 519; 49 U.S.C. 322(a); 49 CFR 1.93)

By Order of the Maritime Administrator. T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr., Secretary, Maritime Administration. [FR Doc. 2026-00753 Filed 1-14-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-81-P