To amend title 46, United States Code, to repeal requirements that applicants for merchant seamen licenses and certificates and merchant mariner's documents must take oaths, and for other purposes.

Summary: Merchant Mariner Credentials Improvement Act of 2007 - Revises requirements with respect to merchant mariner's documents, licenses, and certificates of registry to authorize the advanced renewal of such items which shall not be valid until the date that the originally issued items expire.

Prohibits the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating from charging a fee for the application, processing, or issuance of a merchant mariner's document if, within 30 days of the date the individual submits a complete application for the document, the Secretary has not: (1) issued the document to the individual; or (2) notified the individual that the document will not be issued because the individual does not meet certain qualifications.

Prohibits the Secretary from requiring an individual to be fingerprinted for the issuance or renewal of a merchant mariner's document, license, or certificate of registry if the individual was previously fingerprinted upon applying for a transportation security card.

Extends an expiring merchant mariner's document, license, or certificate of registry for one year (currently, such items are issued for a five-year period with renewals for additional five-year periods) to help eliminate a backlog in processing such items.

Requires the Secretary to develop an interim clearance process for issuance of merchant mariner's documents to help newly hired seamen who do not pose a safety and security risk to begin working on an offshore supply vessel or towing vessel.

Requires the Secretary to report to Congress on: (1) a plan to ensure that the application process for a merchant mariner document can be completed entirely by mail; and (2) the feasibility of the redesign of such document to comply with certain standards.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Merchant Mariner Credentials 
Improvement Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. OATHS.

    Sections 7105 and 7305 of title 46, United States Code, and the 
items relating to such sections in the analysis for chapters 71 and 73 
of such title, are repealed.

SEC. 3. DURATION OF CREDENTIALS.

    (a) Merchant Mariner's Documents.--Section 7302(f) of title 46, 
United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
    ``(f) Periods of Validity and Renewal of Merchant Mariners' 
Documents.--
            ``(1) In general.--Except as provided in subsection (g), a 
        merchant mariner's document issued under this chapter is valid 
        for a 5-year period and may be renewed for additional 5-year 
        periods.
            ``(2) Advance renewals.--A renewed merchant mariner's 
        document may be issued under this chapter in advance but is not 
        effective until the date that the previously issued merchant 
        mariner's document expires.''.
    (b) Duration of Licenses.--Section 7106 of such title is amended to 
read as follows:
``Sec. 7106. Duration of licenses
    ``(a) License Renewal.--A license issued under this part is valid 
for a 5-year period and may be renewed for additional 5-year periods; 
except that the validity of a license issued to a radio officer is 
conditioned on the continuous possession by the holder of a first-class 
or second-class radiotelegraph operator license issued by the Federal 
Communications Commission.
    ``(b) Advance Renewals.--A renewed license issued under this part 
may be issued in advance but is not effective until the date that the 
previously issued license expires.''.
    (c) Certificates of Registry.--Section 7107 of such title is 
amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 7107. Duration of certificates of registry
    ``(a) Certificates of Registry Renewal.--A certificate of registry 
issued under this part is valid for a 5-year period and may be renewed 
for additional 5-year periods; except that the validity of a 
certificate issued to a medical doctor or professional nurse is 
conditioned on the continuous possession by the holder of a license as 
a medical doctor or registered nurse, respectively, issued by a State.
    ``(b) Advance Issuance.--A renewed certificate of registry issued 
under this part may be issued in advance but is not effective until the 
date that the previously issued certificate of registry expires.''.

SEC. 4. PROCESSING TIME FOR DOCUMENTS.

    Section 2110 of title 46, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
    ``(l) Limitation With Respect to Processing Time.--The Secretary 
may not charge a fee under this section for the application, 
processing, or issuance of a merchant mariner's document for an 
individual under chapter 73 if, within 30 days after the date the 
individual submits a complete application for the document, the 
Secretary has not--
            ``(1) issued the document to the individual; or
            ``(2) notified the individual that the document will not be 
        issued because the individual does not meet the qualifications 
        for issuance of that document under that chapter.''.

SEC. 5. FINGERPRINTING.

    (a) Merchant Mariner Licenses and Documents.--Chapter 75 of title 
46, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 7507. Fingerprinting
    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary of the Department in which the 
Coast Guard is operating may not require an individual to be 
fingerprinted for the issuance or renewal of a license, a certificate 
of registry, or a merchant mariner's document under chapter 71 or 73 if 
the individual was fingerprinted when the individual applied for a 
transportation security card under section 70105.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for such chapter is amended 
by adding at the end the following:

``7507. Fingerprinting.''.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION TO EXTEND THE DURATION OF LICENSES, CERTIFICATES 
              OF REGISTRY, AND MERCHANT MARINERS' DOCUMENTS.

    (a) Merchant Mariner Licenses and Documents.--Chapter 75 of title 
46, United States Code, as amended by section 5(a) of this Act, is 
further amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 7508. Authority to extend the duration of licenses, certificates 
              of registry, and merchant mariner documents
    ``(a) Licenses and Certificates of Registry.--Notwithstanding 
section 7106 and 7107, the Secretary of the department in which the 
Coast Guard is operating may extend for one year an expiring license or 
certificate of registry issued for an individual under chapter 71 if 
the Secretary determines that such action is required to enable the 
Coast Guard to eliminate a backlog in processing applications for such 
licenses or certificates of registry.
    ``(b) Merchant Mariner Documents.--Notwithstanding section 7302(g), 
the Secretary may extend for one year an expiring merchant mariner's 
document issued for an individual under chapter 71 if the Secretary 
determines that such action is required to enable the Coast Guard to 
eliminate a backlog in processing applications for such documents.
    ``(c) Manner of Extension.--Any extensions granted under this 
section may be granted to individual seamen or a specifically 
identified group of seamen.
    ``(d) Expiration of Authority.--The authority for providing an 
extension under this section shall expire on June 30, 2009.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for such chapter, as amended 
by section 5(b), is further amended by adding at the end the following:

``7508. Authority to extend the duration of licenses, certificates of 
                            registry, and merchant mariner 
                            documents.''.

SEC. 7. MERCHANT MARINER DOCUMENTATION.

    (a) Interim Clearance Process.--Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the department in which 
the Coast Guard is operating shall develop an interim clearance process 
for issuance of a merchant mariner document to enable a newly hired 
seaman to begin working on an offshore supply vessel or towing vessel 
if the Secretary makes an initial determination that the seaman does 
not pose a safety and security risk.
    (b) Contents of Process.--The process under subsection (a) shall 
include a check against the consolidated and integrated terrorist watch 
list maintained by the Federal Government, review of the seaman's 
criminal record, and review of the results of testing the seaman for 
use of a dangerous drug (as defined in section 2101 of title 46, United 
States Code) in violation of law or Federal regulation.

SEC. 8. MERCHANT MARINER ASSISTANCE REPORT.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Commandant of the Coast Guard shall submit to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a 
report regarding a plan--
            (1) to expand the streamlined evaluation process program 
        that was affiliated with the Houston Regional Examination 
        Center of the Coast Guard to all processing centers of the 
        Coast Guard nationwide;
            (2) to include proposals to simplify the application 
        process for a license as an officer, staff officer, or operator 
        and for a merchant mariner's document to help eliminate errors 
        by merchant mariners when completing the application form (CG-
        719B), including instructions attached to the application form 
        and a modified application form for renewals with questions 
        pertaining only to the period of time since the previous 
        application;
            (3) to provide notice to an applicant of the status of the 
        pending application, including a process to allow the applicant 
        to check on the status of the application by electronic means; 
        and
            (4) to ensure that all information collected with respect 
        to applications for new or renewed licenses, merchant mariner 
        documents, and certificates of registry is retained in a secure 
        electronic format.

SEC. 9. MERCHANT MARINER SHORTAGE REPORT.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Administrator of 
the Maritime Administration, shall submit to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a 
report concerning methods to address the current and future shortage in 
the number of merchant mariners, particularly entry-level mariners, 
including an evaluation of whether an educational loan program 
providing loans for the cost of on-the-job training would provide an 
incentive for workers and help alleviate the shortage.

SEC. 10. MERCHANT MARINER DOCUMENT STANDARDS.

    Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating 
shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate--
            (1) a plan to ensure that the process for an application, 
        by an individual who has, or has applied for, a transportation 
        security card under section 70105 of title 46, United States 
        Code, for a merchant mariner document can be completed entirely 
        by mail; and
            (2) a report on the feasibility of, and a timeline to, 
        redesign the merchant mariner document to comply with the 
        requirements of such section, including a biometric identifier, 
        and all relevant international conventions, including the 
        International Labour Organization Convention Number 185 
        concerning the seafarers identity document, and include a 
        review on whether or not such redesign will eliminate the need 
        for separate credentials and background screening and 
        streamline the application process for mariners.