Sec. 3504. Military to mariner program
591 words·~3 min read·
/bill/116/s/1790/eah/section-3504A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard operates, in coordination with one another and with the United States Committee on the Marine Transportation System, and in consultation with the Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee, shall identify all training and experience within each of the Armed Forces that may qualify for merchant mariner credentialing, and submit a list of all identified training and experience to the United States Coast Guard National Maritime Center for a determination of whether such training and experience counts for credentialing purposes.
The United States Coast Guard Commandant shall make a determination of whether training and experience counts for credentialing purposes, as described in subsection (a), not later than 6 months after the date on which the United States Coast Guard National Maritime Center receives a submission under subsection
(a)identifying a training or experience and requesting such a determination. The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard operates, with respect to the applicable services in their respective departments, shall— take all necessary and appropriate actions to provide for the waiver of fees through the National Maritime Center license evaluation, issuance, and examination for members of the Armed Forces on active duty, if a waiver is authorized and appropriate, and, if a waiver is not granted, take all necessary and appropriate actions to provide for the payment of fees for members of the Armed Forces on active duty by the applicable service to the fullest extent permitted by law; direct the Armed Forces to take all necessary and appropriate actions to provide for Transportation Worker Identification Credential cards for members of the Armed Forces on active duty pursuing or possessing a mariner credential, such as implementation of an equal exchange process for active duty service members at no or minimal cost; ensure that members of the Armed Forces who are to be discharged or released from active duty and who request certification or verification of sea service be provided such certification or verification no later than one month after discharge or release; ensure the Armed Forces have developed, or continue to operate, as appropriate, the online resource known as Credentialing Opportunities On-Line to support separating members of the Armed Forces who are seeking information and assistance on merchant mariner credentialing; and not later than one year after the date of enactment of this section, take all necessary and appropriate actions to review and implement service-related medical certifications to merchant mariner credential requirements. The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard operates shall have direct hiring authority to employ separated members of the Armed Forces with valid merchant mariner licenses or sea service experience in support of United States national maritime needs, including the Army Corps of Engineers. Except in the case of positions in the Senior Executive Service, the requirements of section 3326(b) of title 5, United States Code, shall not apply with respect to the hiring of a separated member of the Armed Forces under paragraph (1). In this section, the term separated member of the Armed Forces means an individual who— is retiring or is retired as a member of the Armed Forces; is voluntarily separating or voluntarily separated from the Armed Forces at the end of enlistment or service obligation; or is administratively separating or has administratively separated from the Armed Forces with an honorable or general discharge characterization.