29 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 11.33 

§ 11.29

May FAA change its regulations 

without first issuing an ANPRM or 
NPRM? 

The FAA normally adds or changes a 

regulation by issuing a final rule after 
an NPRM. However, FAA may adopt, 
amend, or repeal regulations without 
first issuing an ANPRM or NPRM in 
the following situations: 

(a) We may issue a final rule without 

first requesting public comment if, for 
good cause, we find that an NPRM is 
impracticable, unnecessary, or con-
trary to the public interest. We place 
that finding and a brief statement of 
the reasons for it in the final rule. For 
example, we may issue a final rule in 
response to a safety emergency. 

(b) If an NPRM would be unnecessary 

because we do not expect to receive ad-
verse comment, we may issue a direct 
final rule. 

§ 11.31

How does FAA process direct 

final rules? 

(a) A direct final rule will take effect 

on a specified date unless FAA receives 
an adverse comment or notice of intent 
to file an adverse comment within the 
comment period—generally 60 days 
after the direct final rule is published 
in the F

EDERAL

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EGISTER

. An adverse 

comment explains why a rule would be 
inappropriate, or would be ineffective 
or unacceptable without a change. It 
may challenge the rule’s underlying 
premise or approach. Under the direct 
final rule process, we do not consider 
the following types of comments to be 
adverse: 

(1) A comment recommending an-

other rule change, in addition to the 
change in the direct final rule at issue. 
We consider the comment adverse, 
however, if the commenter states why 
the direct final rule would be ineffec-
tive without the change. 

(2) A frivolous or insubstantial com-

ment. 

(b) If FAA has not received an ad-

verse comment or notice of intent to 
file an adverse comment, we will pub-
lish a confirmation document in the 
F

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EGISTER

, generally within 15 

days after the comment period closes. 
The confirmation document tells the 
public the effective date of the rule. 

(c) If we receive an adverse comment 

or notice of intent to file an adverse 

comment, we will advise the public by 
publishing a document in the F

EDERAL

 

R

EGISTER

before the effective date of 

the direct final rule. This document 
may withdraw the direct final rule in 
whole or in part. If we withdraw a di-
rect final rule because of an adverse 
comment, we may incorporate the 
commenter’s recommendation into an-
other direct final rule or may publish a 
notice of proposed rulemaking. 

§ 11.33

How can I track FAA’s rule-

making activities? 

The best ways to track FAA’s rule-

making activities are with the docket 
number or the regulation identifier 
number. 

(a) 

Docket ID. 

We assign a docket ID 

to each rulemaking document pro-
ceeding. Each rulemaking document 
FAA issues in a particular rulemaking 
proceeding, as well as public comments 
on the proceeding, will display the 
same docket ID. This ID allows you to 
search the Federal Docket Manage-
ment System (FDMS) for information 
on most rulemaking proceedings. You 
can view and copy docket materials 
during regular business hours at the 
U.S. Department of Transportation, 
Docket Operations, West Building 
Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 
20590. Or you can view and download 
docketed materials through the Inter-
net at 

http://www.regulations.gov. 

If you 

can’t find the material in the elec-
tronic docket, contact the person listed 
under 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 

CONTACT 

in the document you are in-

terested in. 

(b) 

Regulation identifier number. 

DOT 

publishes a semiannual agenda of all 
current and projected DOT 
rulemakings, reviews of existing regu-
lations, and completed actions. This 
semiannual agenda appears in the Uni-
fied Agenda of Federal Regulations, 
published in the F

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EGISTER

in 

April and October of each year. The 
semiannual agenda tells the public 
about DOT’s—including FAA’s—regu-
latory activities. DOT assigns a regula-
tion identifier number (RIN) to each 
individual rulemaking proceeding in 
the semiannual agenda. This number 
appears on all rulemaking documents 
published in the F

EDERAL

R

EGISTER

 

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