CAA: GA News, "New Report Makes DoT's Rulemaking Priorities Clear"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxx>]

Monday, October 14 2002

Check on Sport Pilot/LSA, 12,500 Pound Rules' Status at FAA
New Report Makes DoT's Priorities Clear
Aero-News


In case you've ever wondered what, "We're working on it" means,
especially when it comes to critical rulemaking like the Sport Pilot /
Light Sport Aircraft initiative, or the so-called, 'twelve-five rule,"
you now can get a clue. The DoT has set up a list of what it calls
"critical" rulesmaking activities for its various branches, and the
FAA's list is 47 items long. For instance, at #34, you can find SP/LSA.
The 12,500 pound rule sits at #40. Really important programs, programs
that will change the course of history, like, um, "Drug Enforcement
Assistance," are higher up, like at #5 on the list. Some of these rules
requests date well back into the 1980s.

The U.S. Department of Transportation says it is making it easier for
the public and businesses to find out, without having to bother anyone
at all at the Department, what is happening with/to certain critical
programs. The Department now offers a report that describes what it
categorizes as 'significant' transportation rulemakings currently under
development and those recently completed. [It's not that the rest are
'insignificant' --ed.]

"This initiative supports the Bush administration's strategy for
expanding electronic government and making it easier for citizens and
businesses to interact with us," Secretary Mineta said (even though
there is no "interaction," per se, with the DoT's pdf file). "Federal
regulations, especially those connected with transportation, are
important. They affect all of us, so it is appropriate that people
throughout the world have an opportunity to participate in their
development. This web site will facilitate that opportunity" (even
though, of course, it's one-way "interaction").

For each rulemaking, the report contains basic information, including a
summary and the anticipated effects of the regulation.

The report also includes a schedule whenever one has been set for a
rulemaking. The report, including the schedule, will be updated monthly,
showing new projected dates when there are changes and dates for
milestones that have been completed. These schedules begin with the date
of submission to the Office of the Secretary of Transportation, and then
follow the rulemaking through Office of Management and Budget review and
subsequent publication in the Federal Register.   

The Department will monitor its own progress in this regulatory report
by using color codes to indicate whether rules are on or behind
schedule. When there are delays, the report will include an explanation.


About Sport Pilot

In case you wondered, SP/LSA (on page 42) is right on schedule, with all
the "Originally Scheduled Dates" set well into 2003. (The Publication
Date is currently set for July 8, 2003). According to the report, there
have been no delays -- what are you griping about?

About the 'Twelve-Five' Rule

There are no published dates for any actions on the 'twelve-five' rule
(page 48). Therefore, no dates have slipped; and there are no
explanations necessary.

Note: the entire report is currently 162 pages long; expect a lengthy
download!

On the Net:

 www.regs.dot.gov


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