(a) Any member of the public may petition the Coast Guard to undertake a rulemaking action. There is no prescribed form for a petition for rulemaking, but the document should provide some supporting information as to why the petitioner believes the proposed rulemaking is necessary and the document should clearly indicate that it is a petition for rulemaking. Petitions should be addressed to the Executive Secretary, Marine Safety and Security Council (G-LRA), United States Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100 Second Street SW., Washington, DC 20593-0001.
(b) The petitioner will be notified of the Coast Guard's decision whether to initiate a rulemaking or not. If the Coast Guard decides not to pursue a rulemaking, the petitioner will be notified of the reasons why. If the Coast Guard decides to initiate rulemaking, it will follow the procedure outlined in this subpart. The Coast Guard may publish a notice acknowledging receipt of a petition for rulemaking in the
(c) Any petition for rulemaking and any reply to the petition will be kept in a public file open for inspection.