COMDTINST M16703.1A governs Coast Guard Headquarters procedures for developing, drafting, and clearing rulemaking documents for Federal Register publication.
View COMDTINST M16703.1A on armypubs.army.mil
The publication covers rulemaking authorities, decision-making, development, public participation, completion, and related Headquarters roles. It requires review, clearance, consideration of public comments, and approval steps for regulatory projects.
Applies to: This Manual does not apply to field regulations issued by District Commanders or Captains of the Port.
Rulemaking is a decision-making process used to establish requirements that bind the public. (paragraph 1)
Generally, final rules will include regulatory text, and cannot take effect sooner than 30 days after publication in the Federal Register (see Chapter 5, Section D). (paragraph 7)
In most cases, the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) requires agencies to show they considered “the relevant matter presented” in public comments or from other sources before publishing an effective rule. (paragraph 1)
If the draft final rule is substantially different from the proposed rule - either as a result of comments or other considerations - it may be necessary to solicit a second round of public comment in a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (SNPRM). (paragraph 2)
Termination of a rulemaking project must be approved by the MSSC. (paragraph 1)