I

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 247

To amend the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, to authorize State maritime

academies to reimburse qualified individuals for fees imposed for the

issuance of certain entry level merchant seamen licenses and merchant

mariners’ documents, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 4, 1995

Mr. FIELDS of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on National Security

A BILL

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Maritime Academy Li5 censing Relief Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. REIMBURSEMENT OF CERTAIN FEES BY STATE

7 MARITIME ACADEMIES.

8 (a) CONDITION OF ASSISTANCE.—Section 1304(d) of

9 the Merchant Marine Act, 1936 (46 App. U.S.C.

10 1295c(d)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
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1 ‘‘(3)(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), an agree2 ment under this subsection shall require a State

3 maritime academy to reimburse each qualified indi4 vidual for any fee or charge for which the individual

5 is liable to the United States for—

6 ‘‘(i) the issuance of an entry level license

7 under chapter 71 of title 46, United States

8 Code;

9 ‘‘(ii) the first issuance of a merchant mari10 ner’s document under chapter 73 of that title;

11 ‘‘(iii) an evaluation or examination for

12 such a license or merchant mariner’s document

13 conducted before the end of the period de14 scribed in subparagraph (D)(ii); or

15 ‘‘(iv) an application for such a license,

16 merchant mariner’s document, evaluation, or

17 examination.

18 ‘‘(B) A State maritime academy shall reimburse

19 qualified individuals under subparagraph (A) to the

20 extent amounts are available under subparagraph

21 (C).

22 ‘‘(C) In addition to annual payments under

23 paragraph (1)(A) and subject to the availability of

24 appropriations, the Secretary shall annually pay to

25 each State maritime academy that enters into an
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1 agreement under paragraph (1) amounts to reim2 burse qualified individuals under subparagraph (A).

3 ‘‘(D) In this paragraph, the term ‘qualified in4 dividual’ means an individual who—

5 ‘‘(i) is attending or is a graduate of a

6 State maritime academy;

7 ‘‘(ii) fulfills the requirements for a license

8 or merchant mariner’s document described in

9 subparagraph (A) not later than three months

10 after the date the individual graduates from a

11 State maritime academy; and

12 ‘‘(iii) is liable for a fee or charge described

13 in subparagraph (A).’’.

14 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by

15 subsection (a) is effective October 1, 1995.

16 (c) AMENDMENT OF EXISTING AGREEMENTS.—As

17 soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of this

18 Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall amend agree19 ments under section 1304(d) of the Merchant Marine Act,

20 1936 (46 App. U.S.C. 1295c(d)) pursuant to the amend21 ment made by subsection (a).

22 (d) ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS AUTHORIZED.—

23 In addition to amounts authorized to be appropriated for

24 assistance to State maritime academies, there is author25 ized to be appropriated $300,000 for fiscal year 1996 to
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1 reimburse qualified individuals pursuant to the amend2 ment made by subsection (a).

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