The Coast Guard is proposing to amend the regulation for the Galveston Harbor, Bolivar Roads Channel, Texas Anchorage grounds (the "Bolivar Anchorage") to institute a 48 hour time limit for anchorage area (A) East. Amending this regulation would align the time limit for anchorage area (A) East with the already established 48 hour time limits for Bolivar Anchorage areas (A), (B) and (C). We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

Dates

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Comments and related material must be received by the Coast Guard on or before September 17, 2026.

Addresses

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To submit comments and view available documents, go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for USCG-2024-0667.

For further information contact

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If you have questions about this proposed rulemaking, call or email MST1 Christopher Morgan, Sector Houston-Galveston, U.S. Coast Guard; telephone 713-398-5823, email [email protected].

I. Table of Abbreviations

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CFR Code of Federal Regulations DHS Department of Homeland Security FR Federal Register NPRM Notice of proposed rulemaking Sec. Section U.S.C. United States Code

II. Background and Authority

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In 2018 the Coast Guard established the Bolivar Anchorage area (A) East at 33 CFR 110.197, to address port security, port congestion and navigation safety concerns (83 FR 18412, April 27, 2018). At the time when the anchorage area was established it did not include a time limit of 48 hours like the Bolivar Anchorage areas (A), (B) and (C). After discussion with the local maritime community during a Harbor Safety Committee meeting, it was determined that having a 48 hour time limit in the regulations for the Bolivar Anchorage area (A) East was needed to ensure consistency among these anchorage areas. The purpose of this proposed rule is to amend the Bolivar Anchorage regulation to establish a 48-hour time limit for vessels within the Bolivar Anchorage area (A) East, to bring its timeline requirements in line with the rest of the Bolivar Anchorage areas. The Coast Guard is proposing this rulemaking under authorities in 33 U.S.C. 2071; 46 U.S.C. 70006 and 70034; 33 CFR 1.05-1; and Department of Homeland Security Delegation No. 00170.1, Revision No. 01.3.

III. Discussion of the Rule

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This proposed rule would amend the already existing Bolivar Anchorage 48-hour time limit regulation at 33 CFR 110.197(b)(2), by adding anchorage area (A) East. As amended, the 48-hour time limit would then apply to all Bolivar Anchorage areas: (A), (A) East, (B), and (C). This amendment would ensure uniformity across the entirety of the Bolivar Anchorage areas and reduce confusion from the local maritime community about the time limit restrictions. The regulatory text we are proposing appears at the end of this document.

IV. Regulatory Analyses

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We developed this proposed rule after considering numerous statutes and Executive orders related to rulemaking. Below we summarize our analyses based on a number of these statutes and Executive orders.