Title of Regulation: 4VAC20-490. Pertaining to Sharks (amending 4VAC20-490-20, 4VAC20-490-41).

Statutory Authority: § 28.2-201 of the Code of Virginia.

Effective Date: March 1, 2016.

Agency Contact: Jennifer Farmer, Regulatory Coordinator, Marine Resources Commission, 2600 Washington Avenue, 3rd Floor, Newport News, VA 23607, telephone (757) 247-2248 or email jennifer.farmer@mrc.virginia.gov.

Summary:

The amendments (i) establish the blacknose shark, Carcharhinus acronotus, as a "commercially prohibited shark" and (ii) beginning January 1 of any year, prohibit possession on board a vessel or landing in Virginia more than a combined total of 36 commercially permitted aggregated large coastal sharks and commercially permitted hammerhead sharks in a 24-hour period, unless notice of any change has been posted on the Marine Resources Commission website.

4VAC20-490-20. Definitions.

The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

"Agent" means any person who possesses the Commercial Fisherman Registration License, fishing gear license, or fishing permit of a registered commercial fisherman in order to fish that commercial fisherman's gear or sell that commercial fisherman's harvest.

"Carcass length" means that length measured in a straight line from the anterior edge of the first dorsal fin to the posterior end of the shark carcass.

"COLREGS Line" means the COLREGS Demarcation Line, as defined in the Code of Federal Regulations (33 CFR 80.510 Chesapeake Bay Entrance, VA).

"Commercial shark fisherman" means any commercial fisherman permitted to land or possess sharks (excluding spiny dogfish) that has landed and sold one pound of shark or more (excludes spiny dogfish) in that calendar year (January 1 through December 31).

"Commercially permitted aggregated large coastal shark" means any of the following species:

Blacktip, Carcharhinus limbatus

Bull, Carcharhinus leucas

Lemon, Negaprion brevirostris

Nurse, Ginglymostoma cirratum

Silky, Carcharhinus falciformis

Spinner, Carcharhinus brevipinna

Tiger, Galeocerdo cuvier

"Commercially permitted blacknose shark" means any of the following species:

Blacknose, Carcharhinus acronotus

"Commercially permitted harmmerhead hammerhead shark" means any of the following species:

Great hammerhead, Sphyrna mokarran

Scalloped hammerhead, Sphyrna lewini

Smooth hammerhead, Sphyrna zygaena

"Commercially permitted nonblacknose small coastal shark" means any of the following species:

Atlantic sharpnose, Rhizoprionodon terraenovae

Bonnethead, Sphyrna tiburo

Finetooth, Carcharhinus isodon

"Commercially permitted pelagic shark" means any of the following species:

Blue, Prionace glauca

Oceanic whitetip, Carcharhinus longimanus

Porbeagle, Lamna nasus

Shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrinchus

Thresher, Alopias vulpinus

"Commercially prohibited shark" means any of the following species:

Atlantic angel, Squatina dumeril

Basking, Cetorhinus maximus

Bigeye sand tiger, Odontaspis noronhai

Bigeye sixgill, Hexanchus nakamurai

Bigeye thresher, Alopias superciliosus

Bignose, Carcharhinus altimus

Blacknose, Carcharhinus acronotus

Caribbean reef, Carcharhinus perezii

Caribbean sharpnose, Rhizoprionodon porosus

Dusky, Carcharhinus obscurus

Galapagos, Carcharhinus galapagensis

Longfin mako, Isurus paucus

Narrowtooth, Carcharhinus brachyurus

Night, Carcharhinus signatus

Sand tiger, Carcharias taurus

Sevengill, Heptranchias perlo

Sixgill, Hexanchus griseus

Smalltail, Carcharhinus porosus

Whale, Rhincodon typus

White, Carcharodon carcharias

"Control rule" means a time-certain date, past, present or future, used to establish participation in a limited entry fishery and may or may not include specific past harvest amounts.

"Dressed weight" means the result from processing a fish by removal of head, viscera, and fins, but does not include removal of the backbone, halving, quartering, or otherwise further reducing the carcass.

"Finning" means removing the fins and returning the remainder of the shark to the sea.

"Fork length" means the straight-line measurement of a fish from the tip of the snout to the fork of the tail. The measurement is not made along the curve of the body.

"Large mesh gill net" means any gill net with a stretched mesh of greater than five inches.

"Longline" means any fishing gear that is set horizontally, either anchored, floating or attached to a vessel, and that consists of a mainline or groundline, greater than 1,000 feet in length, with multiple leaders (gangions) and hooks, whether retrieved by hand or mechanical means.

"Movable gill net" means any gill net other than a staked gill net.

"Permitted commercial gear" means rod and reel, handlines, shark shortlines, small mesh gill nets, large mesh gill nets, pound nets, and weirs.

"Recreational shore angler" means a person not neither fishing from a vessel nor transported to or from a fishing location by a vessel.

"Recreational vessel angler" means a person fishing from a vessel or transported to or from a fishing location by a vessel.

"Recreationally permitted shark" means any of the following species:

Atlantic sharpnose, Rhizoprionodon terraenovae

Blacknose, Carcharhinus acronotus

Blacktip, Carcharhinus limbatus

Blue, Prionace glauca

Bonnethead, Sphyrna tiburo

Bull, Carcharhinus leucas

Finetooth, Carcharhinus isodon

Great hammerhead, Sphyrna mokarran

Lemon, Negaprion brevirostris

Nurse, Ginglymostoma cirratum

Oceanic whitetip, Carcharhinus longimanus

Porbeagle, Lamna nasus

Scalloped hammerhead, Sphyrna lewini

Shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrinchus

Smooth dogfish, Mustelus canis

Smooth hammerhead, Sphyrna zygaena

Spinner, Carcharhinus brevipinna

Thresher, Alopias vulpinus

Tiger, Galeocerdo cuvier

"Recreationally prohibited shark" means any of the following species:

Atlantic angel, Squatina dumeril

Basking, Cetorhinus maximus

Bigeye sand tiger, Odontaspis noronhai

Bigeye sixgill, Hexanchus nakamurai

Bigeye thresher, Alopias superciliosus

Bignose, Carcharhinus altimus

Caribbean reef, Carcharhinus perezii

Caribbean sharpnose, Rhizoprionodon porosus

Dusky, Carcharhinus obscurus

Galapagos, Carcharhinus galapagensis

Longfin mako, Isurus paucus

Narrowtooth, Carcharhinus brachyurus

Night, Carcharhinus signatus

Sand tiger, Carcharias taurus

Sandbar, Carcharhinus plumbeus

Sevengill, Heptranchias perlo

Silky, Carcharhinus falciformis

Sixgill, Hexanchus griseus

Smalltail, Carcharhinus porosus

Whale, Rhincodon typus

White, Carcharodon carcharias

"Research only shark" means any of the following species:

Sandbar, Carcharhinus plumbeus

"Shark shortline" means a fish trotline that is set horizontally, either anchored, floating or attached to a vessel, and that consists of a mainline or groundline, 1,000 feet in length or less, with multiple leaders (gangions) and no more than 50 corrodible circle hooks, whether retrieved by hand or mechanical means.

"Small mesh gill net" means any gill net with a stretched mesh of equal to or less than five inches.

"Smooth dogfish" means any shark of the species Mustelus canis.

"Spiny dogfish" means any shark of the species Squalus acanthias.

4VAC20-490-41. Commercial catch limitations.

A. It Beginning January 1 of any given year it shall be unlawful for any person to possess on board a vessel or to land in Virginia more than a combined total of 36 commercially permitted aggregated large coastal sharks and commercially permitted hammerhead sharks in one 24-hour period, unless the Marine Resources Commission has posted notice of any change to possession limits on its website at http://mrc.virginia.gov/Regulations/VA-commercial-shark-possession-limits.shtm. The person who owns or operates the vessel is responsible for compliance with the provisions of this subsection.

B. It shall be unlawful for any person to fillet a shark until that shark is offloaded at the dock or on shore, except smooth dogfish as provided in subsection C of this section. A licensed commercial fisherman may eviscerate and remove the head of any shark, but the tail and all fins of any shark, except smooth dogfish as provided in subsection C of this section, shall remain naturally attached to the carcass through landing. The fins of any shark, except smooth dogfish, may be partially cut but some portion of the fin shall remain attached, until the shark is landed.

C. Virginia licensed commercial fishermen may completely process smooth dogfish at sea prior to landing, except that it shall be unlawful for anyone to land or possess on board any vessel any amount of processed smooth dogfish whereby the total weight of fins exceeds 12% of the total dressed weight of any smooth dogfish.

D. It shall be unlawful to possess, on board a vessel, or to land in Virginia any species of shark, after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries has closed the fishery for that species in federal waters.

E. There are no commercial trip limits or possession limits for smooth dogfish or sharks on the lists of commercially permitted pelagic species, or commercially permitted nonblacknose species, or commercially permitted blacknose species.

F. Except as described in this section, it shall be unlawful for any person to take, harvest, land, or possess in Virginia any blacktip, bull, great hammerhead, lemon, nurse, scalloped hammerhead, silky, smooth hammerhead, spinner, or tiger shark from May 15 through July 15. These sharks may be transported by vessel, in Virginia waters, during the closed season provided the sharks were caught in a legal manner consistent with federal regulations outside Virginia waters and:

1. The vessel does not engage in fishing in Virginia waters while possessing the above species listed in this subsection; and

2. All fishing gear aboard the vessel is stowed and not available for immediate use.

G. It shall be unlawful for any person to retain, possess, or purchase any commercially prohibited shark or any research only shark, except as provided in subsection I of this section.

H. All sharks harvested from state waters or federal waters, for commercial purposes, shall only be sold to a federally permitted shark dealer.

I. The commissioner may grant exemptions from the seasonal closure, quota, possession limit, size limit, gear restrictions, and prohibited species restrictions. Exemptions shall be granted only for display or research purposes. Any person granted an exemption for the harvest of any shark for research or display shall report the species, weight, location caught, and gear used for each shark collected within 30 days. Any person granted a permit to possess any shark for research or display shall provide the commissioner on an annual basis information on the location and status of the shark throughout the life of the shark.

Title of Regulation: 4VAC20-620. Pertaining to Summer Flounder (amending 4VAC20-620-40).

Statutory Authority: § 28.2-201 of the Code of Virginia.

Effective Date: February 24, 2016.

Agency Contact: Jennifer Farmer, Regulatory Coordinator, Marine Resources Commission, 2600 Washington Avenue, 3rd Floor, Newport News, VA 23607, telephone (757) 247-2248 or email jennifer.farmer@mrc.virginia.gov.

Summary:

The amendments modify the landing dates, landing periods, possession limits, and landing limits for summer flounder commercially harvested outside of Virginia waters and include (i) permitting the possession of a North Carolina vessel possession limit of summer flounder but prohibiting offloading any amount of that possession limit except pursuant to a transfer quota agreed to by the Commissioner of the Marine Resources Commission, (ii) changing the harvesting date of April 19 to May 7, (iii) increasing the 20-day landing period to 30 days, and (iv) prohibiting landing more than a total of 5,000 pounds of summer flounder during the second 30-day period.

4VAC20-620-40. Commercial vessel possession and landing limitations.

A. It shall be unlawful for any person harvesting Summer Flounder outside of Virginia's waters to do any of the following, except as described in subsections B, C, D, and D E of this section:

1. Possess aboard any vessel in Virginia waters any amount of Summer Flounder in excess of 10% by weight of Atlantic croaker or the combined landings, on board a vessel, of black sea bass, scup, squid, scallops and Atlantic mackerel.

2. Possess aboard any vessel in Virginia waters any amount of Summer Flounder in excess of 1,500 pounds landed in combination with Atlantic croaker.

3. Fail to sell the vessel's entire harvest of all species at the point of landing.

B. Nothing in this chapter shall preclude a vessel from possessing any North Carolina vessel possession limit of summer flounder in Virginia; however, no vessel that possesses the North Carolina vessel possession limit of summer flounder shall offload any amount of that possession limit, except as described in subsection J of this section.

B. C. From the second Wednesday in March through April 19 May 7, it shall be unlawful for any person harvesting Summer Flounder outside of Virginia waters to do any of the following:

1. Possess aboard any vessel in Virginia waters any amount of Summer Flounder in excess of the combined total of the Virginia landing limit described in subdivision subdivisions 3 and 4 of this subsection and the amount of the legal North Carolina landing limit or trip limit.

2. Land Summer Flounder in Virginia for commercial purposes more than twice during each consecutive 20-day 30-day period, with the first 20-day 30-day period beginning on the second Wednesday in March.

3. Land in Virginia more than a total of 7,500 pounds of Summer Flounder during each consecutive 20-day the first 30-day period, with the first 20-day 30-day period beginning on the second Wednesday in March.

4. Land in Virginia more than a total of 5,000 pounds of summer flounder during the second 30-day period with the second 30-day period beginning on April 7.

4. 5. Land in Virginia any amount of Summer Flounder more than once in any consecutive five-day period.

C. D. From November 1 through December 31 of each year, or until it has been projected and announced that 85% of the allowable landings have been taken, it shall be unlawful for any person harvesting Summer Flounder outside of Virginia waters to do any of the following:

1. Possess aboard any vessel in Virginia waters any amount of Summer Flounder in excess of the combined total of the Virginia landing limit described in subdivisions 3 and 4 of this subsection and the amount of the legal North Carolina landing limit or trip limit.

2. Land Summer Flounder in Virginia for commercial purposes more than twice during each consecutive 30-day period, with the first 30-day period beginning on November 1.

3. Land in Virginia more than a total of 10,000 pounds of Summer Flounder during the first 30-day period, with the first 30-day period beginning on November 1.

4. Land in Virginia more than a total of 5,000 pounds of Summer Flounder during the second 30-day period with the second 30-day period beginning on December 1.

5. Land in Virginia any amount of Summer Flounder more than once in any consecutive five-day period.

D. E. From January 1 through December 31 of each year, any boat or vessel issued a valid federal Summer Flounder moratorium permit and owned and operated by a legal Virginia Commercial Hook-and-Line Licensee that possesses a Restricted Summer Flounder Endorsement shall be restricted to a possession and landing limit of 200 pounds of Summer Flounder, except as described in 4VAC20-620-30 F.

E. F. Upon request by a marine police officer, the seafood buyer or processor shall offload and accurately determine the total weight of all Summer Flounder aboard any vessel landing Summer Flounder in Virginia.

F. G. Any possession limit described in this section shall be determined by the weight in pounds of Summer Flounder as customarily packed, boxed and weighed by the seafood buyer or processor. The weight of any Summer Flounder in pounds found in excess of any possession limit described in this section shall be prima facie evidence of violation of this chapter. Persons in possession of Summer Flounder aboard any vessel in excess of the possession limit shall be in violation of this chapter unless that vessel has requested and been granted safe harbor. Any buyer or processor offloading or accepting any quantity of Summer Flounder from any vessel in excess of the possession limit shall be in violation of this chapter, except as described by subsection I J of this section. A buyer or processor may accept or buy Summer Flounder from a vessel that has secured safe harbor, provided that vessel has satisfied the requirements described in subsection I J of this section.

G. H. If a person violates the possession limits described in this section, the entire amount of Summer Flounder in that person's possession shall be confiscated. Any confiscated Summer Flounder shall be considered as a removal from the appropriate commercial harvest or landings quota. Upon confiscation, the marine police officer shall inventory the confiscated Summer Flounder and, at a minimum, secure two bids for purchase of the confiscated Summer Flounder from approved and licensed seafood buyers. The confiscated fish will be sold to the highest bidder and all funds derived from such sale shall be deposited for the Commonwealth pending court resolution of the charge of violating the possession limits established by this chapter. All of the collected funds will be returned to the accused upon a finding of innocence or forfeited to the Commonwealth upon a finding of guilty.

H. I. It shall be unlawful for a licensed seafood buyer or federally permitted seafood buyer to fail to contact the Marine Resources Commission Operation Station prior to a vessel offloading Summer Flounder harvested outside of Virginia. The buyer shall provide to the Marine Resources Commission the name of the vessel, its captain, an estimate of the amount in pounds of Summer Flounder on board that vessel, and the anticipated or approximate offloading time. Once offloading of any vessel is complete and the weight of the landed Summer Flounder has been determined, the buyer shall contact the Marine Resources Commission Operations Station and report the vessel name and corresponding weight of Summer Flounder landed. It shall be unlawful for any person to offload from a boat or vessel for commercial purposes any Summer Flounder during the period of 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.

I. J. Any boat or vessel that has entered Virginia waters for safe harbor shall only offload Summer Flounder when the state that licenses that vessel requests to transfer quota to Virginia, in the amount that corresponds to that vessel's possession limit, and the commissioner agrees to accept that transfer of quota.

J. K. After any commercial harvest or landing quota as described in 4VAC20-620-30 has been attained and announced as such, any boat or vessel possessing Summer Flounder on board may enter Virginia waters for safe harbor but shall contact the Marine Resources Commission Operation Center in advance of such entry into Virginia waters.

K. L. It shall be unlawful for any person harvesting Summer Flounder outside of Virginia waters to possess aboard any vessel, in Virginia, any amount of Summer Flounder, once it has been projected and announced that 100% of the quota described in 4VAC20-620-30 A has been taken.

Title of Regulation: 4VAC20-720. Pertaining to Restrictions on Oyster Harvest (amending 4VAC20-720-80).

Statutory Authority: §§ 28.2-201 and 28.2-210 of the Code of Virginia.

Effective Dates: February 23, 2016, through March 22, 2016.

Agency Contact: Jennifer Farmer, Regulatory Coordinator, Marine Resources Commission, 2600 Washington Avenue, 3rd Floor, Newport News, VA 23607, telephone (757) 247-2248 or email jennifer.farmer@mrc.virginia.gov.

Preamble:

The emergency amendment allows payment of the oyster resource user fee only by those harvesters who have previously paid an oyster resource user fee.

4VAC20-720-80. Quotas and harvest limits.

A. It shall be unlawful for any person who does not possess a valid commercial fisherman's registration license and a valid gear license required by harvest area, as described in 4VAC20-720-75, and has not paid the current year's oyster resource user fee to harvest or possess any oysters for commercial purposes. Any individual who possesses the valid licenses and has paid the oyster resource user fee as described in this subsection shall be limited to a maximum harvest of eight bushels per day. It shall be unlawful for any vessel to exceed a daily vessel limit of 24 bushels clean cull oysters harvested from the areas described in 4VAC20-720-40 B 8 through 16.

B. It shall be unlawful for any person who does not possess a valid commercial fisherman's registration license and a valid gear license required by harvest area, as described in 4VAC20-720-75, and has not paid the current year's oyster resource user fee to harvest or possess any oysters for commercial purposes. Any individual who possesses the valid licenses and has paid the oyster resource user fee as described in this subsection shall be limited to a maximum harvest of eight bushels per day. It shall be unlawful for any vessel to exceed a daily vessel limit for clean cull oysters harvested from the areas described in 4VAC20-720-40 B 2 through 7 and 17, whereby that vessel limit shall equal the number of registered commercial fisherman licensees on board the vessel who hold a valid gear license and who have paid the oyster resource user fee multiplied by eight.

C. It shall be unlawful for any vessel to exceed a daily vessel limit for clean cull oysters harvested from the areas described in 4VAC20-720-40 B 1, whereby that vessel limit shall equal the number of registered commercial fisherman licensees on board the vessel who hold a valid gear license and who have paid the oyster resource user fee multiplied by 12. It shall be unlawful for any person who does not possess a valid commercial fisherman's registration license and hold a valid gear license required by harvest area, as described in 4VAC20-720-75, and has not paid the current year's oyster resource user fee to harvest or possess any oysters for commercial purposes. Any individual who possesses the valid licenses and has paid the oyster resource user fee as described in this subsection shall be limited to a maximum harvest of 12 bushels per day.

D. It shall be unlawful for any vessel to exceed a daily vessel limit for clean cull oysters harvested from the areas described in 4VAC20-720-40 B 18, whereby that vessel limit shall equal the number of registered commercial fisherman licensees on board the vessel who are licensed by a valid gear license and have paid the oyster resource user fee, multiplied by eight. It shall be unlawful for any person who does not possess a valid commercial fisherman's registration license and a valid gear license required by harvest area, as described in 4VAC20-720-75, and has not paid the current year's oyster resource user fee to harvest or possess any oysters for commercial purposes. Any individual who possesses the valid licenses and has paid the oyster resource user fee, as described in this subsection, shall be limited to a maximum harvest of eight bushels per day.

E. Beginning February 23, 2016, payment of the oyster resource user fee that allows any harvester to use one or more gear types to harvest oysters or possess any bushel limit, as described in this section, shall be limited to those individuals who previously paid an oyster resource user fee.

E. F. In the Pocomoke and Tangier Sounds Rotation Area 1, no blue crab bycatch is allowed. It shall be unlawful to possess on board any vessel more than 250 hard clams.

Title of Regulation: 9VAC20-150. Waste Tire End User Reimbursement Regulation.

Contact Information: Debra Harris, Policy and Planning Specialist, Department of Environmental Quality, 629 East Main Street, Richmond, VA 23219, telephone (804) 698-4209, or email debra.harris@deq.virginia.gov.

FORMS (9VAC20-150)

Waste Tire Program Waste Tire Pile Certification, DEQ- CERT (rev. 12/97).

Waste Tire Program End User Reimbursement Application, DEQ-EURR (rev. 8/97).

Waste Tire Pile Certification, DEQ-CERT, No. 154 (rev. 3/2010)

End User Reimbursement Application, DEQ-EURR (rev. 12/2015)

Title of Regulation: 14VAC5-10. Accident Airtrip Insurance (repealing 14VAC5-10-10).

Statutory Authority: §§ 12.1-13 and 38.2-223 of the Code of Virginia.

Public Hearing Information: A public hearing will be held upon request.

Public Comment Deadline: April 15, 2016.

Agency Contact: Katie Johnson, Policy Advisor, Policy and Compliance Division, Bureau of Insurance, State Corporation Commission, P.O. Box 1157, Richmond, VA 23218, telephone (804) 371-9688, FAX (804) 371-9873, or email katie.johnson@scc.virginia.gov.

Summary:

This action repeals 14VAC5-10, which is unnecessary because the use of mechanical vending machines in public airports for the solicitation of applications for and the issuance of accident airtrip insurance policies is obsolete.

AT RICHMOND, MARCH 1, 2016

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, ex rel.

CASE NO. INS-2016-00045

STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION

Ex Parte: In the matter of Repealing the

Rules Governing Accident Airtrip Insurance

ORDER TO TAKE NOTICE

Section 12.1-13 of the Code of Virginia ("Code") provides that the State Corporation Commission ("Commission") shall have the power to promulgate rules and regulations in the enforcement and administration of all laws within its jurisdiction, and § 38.2-223 of the Code provides that the Commission may issue any rules and regulations necessary or appropriate for the administration and enforcement of Title 38.2 of the Code.

The rules and regulations issued by the Commission pursuant to § 38.2-223 of the Code are set forth in Title 14 of the Virginia Administrative Code. A copy may also be found at the Commission's website: http://www.scc.virginia.gov/case.

The Bureau of Insurance ("Bureau") has submitted to the Commission a proposal to repeal the rules set forth in Chapter 10 of Title 14 of the Virginia Administrative Code, entitled "Accident Airtrip Insurance," 14 VAC 5-10-10 ("Rules").

The Virginia General Assembly enacted § 38.2-1807 of the Code in 1958. This Code section allows insurers that are qualified to transact business in the Commonwealth of Virginia and to write accident airtrip insurance to solicit applications for and issue accident airtrip insurance policies by means of mechanical vending machines in public airports. In addition, this Code section requires that such mechanical vending machines be under the supervision of an appointed agent and that the insurer comply with all requirements prescribed by the Commission for the conduct of this business. Chapter 10 was promulgated as a result. The repeal of Chapter 10 is necessary because the use of mechanical vending machines in public airports for the solicitation of applications for and the issuance of accident airtrip insurance policies is now obsolete.

NOW THE COMMISSION is of the opinion that Chapter 10 of Title 14 of the Virginia Administrative Code should be considered for repeal.

Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED THAT:

(1) The proposal that Chapter 10 of Title 14 of the Virginia Administrative Code be repealed, is attached hereto and made a part hereof.

(2) All interested persons who desire to comment in support of or in opposition to, or request a hearing to oppose repealing Chapter 10 of Title 14 of the Virginia Administrative Code, shall file such comments or hearing request on or before April 15, 2016, with Joel H. Peck, Clerk, State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218. Interested persons desiring to submit comments electronically may do so by following the instructions at the Commission's website: http://www.scc.virginia.gov/case. All comments shall refer to Case No. INS-2016-00045.

(3) If no written request for a hearing on the proposal to repeal Chapter 10 of Title 14 of the Virginia Administrative Code is received on or before April 15, 2016, the Commission, upon consideration of any comments submitted in support of or in opposition to the proposal, may repeal the Rules.

(4) AN ATTESTED COPY hereof, together with a copy of the proposal to repeal the Rules, shall be sent by the Clerk of the Commission to the Bureau in care of Deputy Commissioner Althelia P. Battle, who forthwith shall give further notice of the proposal to repeal the Rules by mailing a copy of this Order, together with the proposal, to all insurers qualified to transact business in the Commonwealth and to write accident airtrip insurance, as well as to all interested persons.

(5) The Commission's Division of Information Resources forthwith shall cause a copy of this Order, together with the proposal to repeal the Rules, to be forwarded to the Virginia Registrar of Regulations for appropriate publication in the Virginia Register of Regulations.

(6) The Commission's Division of Information Resources shall make available this Order and the attached proposal to repeal the Rules on the Commission's website: http://www.scc.virginia.gov/case.

(7) The Bureau shall file with the Clerk of the Commission an affidavit of compliance with the notice requirements of Ordering Paragraph (4) above.