In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Maritime Administration (MARAD) has announced its intentions to request approval for a three-year extension of a currently approved information collection entitled Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER). This information collection is necessary for maintaining a current plot of U.S.-flag and U.S.-owned vessels. Respondents of this collection are

U.S.-flag and U.S. citizen-owned vessels.

Written comments, referencing Docket No. MARAD 2003-15853 may be submitted to the Docket Clerk, U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL-401, Department of Transportation,

400 7^th St., SW, Washington, DC 20590 by 5:00 p.m. October 14, 2003. Comments may also be submitted electronically via the Internet at http://dmses.dot.gov/submit. All comments are available for review between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., E.T., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. An electronic version of this document is available on the World Wide Web at http://dms.dot.gov.

For further information contact Michael Franklin, Maritime Administration, (MAR-610), 400 7^th St., SW, Washington, DC 20590; telephone (202) 366-2628; fax (202) 366-3954; or E-MAIL: michael.franklin@marad.dot.gov. Copies of this collection also can be obtained from that office.