# Maintenance and Repair Reimbursement Pilot Program
**AGENCY:**
Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation.
**ACTION:**
Notice of extension of application deadline.
**SUMMARY:**
The Maritime Administration is hereby giving notice that the closing date for filing applications to enroll in the Maintenance and Repair Reimbursement Pilot Program is extended until February 15, 2008. The notice announcing the initial application deadline was published in the *Federal Register* on July 2, 2007 (72 FR 36103). An extension to October 30, 2007 was previously published in the *Federal Register* on July 30, 2007 (72 FR 41581-01). A subsequent extension to December 30, 2007 was published in the *Federal Register* on October 30, 2007 (72 FR 61421-01).
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Jean E. McKeever, Associate Administrator for Business and Workforce Development, Maritime Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., Washington, DC 20590; phone: (202) 366-5737; fax: (202) 366-3511; or e-mail: *[email protected].*
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
Section 3517 of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2007 (Pub. L. 109-163) requires a person who is awarded a Maritime Security Program (“MSP”) agreement to also enter into an agreement with the Maritime Administration to perform maintenance and repair (“M&R”) work in United States shipyards as a condition of the MSP award. The Maritime Administration's M&R regulations do not apply the M&R condition to contractors who have already been awarded an M&R agreement. Thus, the Maritime Administration's M&R regulations make the M&R obligation mandatory on new awardees, including transferees, of MSP agreements, and voluntary for existing MSP contractors.
The M&R regulations were published in the *Federal Register* on February 6, 2007 (72 FR 5342-01), but did not specify a time period for submitting applications. The deadline for applying for the M&R program is being extended to accommodate one or more carriers that are considering submitting applications, but need additional time to make a decision.
(Authority: 49 CFR 1.66)
By Order of the Maritime Administrator.
Dated: December 27, 2007.
Murray A. Bloom,
Acting Secretary, Maritime Administration.