102298 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

Coast Guard 

46 CFR Parts 1, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 

and 16 

[Docket No. USCG–2021–0834] 

RIN 1625–AC86 

Mariner Credentialing Program 

Transformation 

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is issuing 

this final rule to permit the electronic 

submission of required mariner 

credentialing information to allow for 

the future implementation of a new 

Merchant Mariner Credentialing 

information technology system. This 

rule also requires the electronic 

payment of mandatory merchant 

mariner credentialing fees, removes the 

requirement for prospective mariners to 

take an oath before an authorized 

official, and changes the requirements 

for the Certificate of Discharge to 

Merchant Mariners. Finally, this rule 

makes technical amendments to update 

addresses and websites, remove 

antiquated terminology, and adopt 

gender-neutral terms. 

DATES: This final rule is effective 

January 19, 2025. 

ADDRESSES: To view documents 

mentioned in this preamble as being 

available in the docket, go to https://

www.regulations.gov, type USCG–2021– 

0834 in the search box and click 

‘‘Search.’’ Next, in the Document Type 

column, select ‘‘Supporting & Related 

Material.’’ 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

information about this document call or 

email call or email Mr. Charles J. Bright, 

Coast Guard Office of Merchant Mariner 

Credentialing, Coast Guard; telephone 

202–372–1046, email Charles.J.Bright@

uscg.mil. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Table of Contents for Preamble 

I. Abbreviations 

II. Basis and Purpose, and Regulatory History 

III. Discussion of Comments and Changes 

IV. Discussion of the Rule 

V. Regulatory Analysis 

A. Regulatory Planning and Review 

B. Small Entities 

C. Assistance for Small Entities 

D. Collection of Information 

E. Federalism 

F. Unfunded Mandates 

G. Taking of Private Property 

H. Civil Justice Reform 

I. Protection of Children 

J. Indian Tribal Governments 

K. Energy Effects 

L. Technical Standards 

M. Environment 

I. Abbreviations 

ACH Automated Clearing House 

BLS Bureau of Labor Statistics 

CBO Congressional Budget Office 

CFR Code of Federal Regulations 

CG–MMC Coast Guard Office of Merchant 

Mariner Credentialing 

DHS Department of Homeland Security 

EFT Electronic Funds Transfer 

Form CG–718A Certificate of Discharge to 

Merchant Mariner 

Form CG–719B Application for Merchant 

Mariner Credential 

FR Federal Register 

FRED Federal Reserve Economic Data 

GS General Schedule 

GSA General Services Administration 

ICR Information Collection Request 

IT Information Technology 

MCP Mariner Credentialing Program 

MMC Merchant Mariner Credential 

MMLD Merchant Mariner Licensing and 

Documentation 

NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration 

NMC National Maritime Center 

NPRM Notice of proposed rulemaking 

OMB Office of Management and Budget 

OPM Office of Personnel Management 

RA Regulatory analysis 

RFA Regulatory Flexibility Act 

REC Regional Exam Center 

§ Section 

TWIC Transportation Worker Identification 

Credential 

U.S.C. United States Code 

USCG United States Coast Guard 

II. Basis and Purpose, and Regulatory 

History 

The legal basis of this final rule is title 

46 of the United States Code (U.S.C.) 

Sections 7101(b) and 7301(b), which 

authorizes the Secretary of the 

Department of Homeland Security 

(DHS) to establish the experience and 

professional qualifications required for 

the issuance of merchant mariner 

licenses and documents. The DHS 

Secretary has delegated the rulemaking 

authority under 46 U.S.C. 7101 and 

7301 to the Coast Guard through DHS 

Delegation No. 00170.1(II)(92)(e), 

Revision No. 01.4. Additionally, 14 

U.S.C. 102(3) grants the Coast Guard 

broad authority to issue and enforce 

regulations for the promotion of safety 

of life and property on waters subject to 

the jurisdiction of the United States, 

which includes establishing the 

experience and professional 

qualifications required for the issuance 

of credentials. 

This final rule revises title 46 of the 

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 

subchapter A, part 1, and subchapter B, 

parts 10–16, to allow for the electronic 

submission of information to the Coast 

Guard for the issuance of a Merchant 

Mariner Credential (MMC) and the 

supporting administrative processes, 

including requiring the payment of 

mandatory fees through the federal 

government-recognized system, Pay.gov. 

The Coast Guard is also removing the 

requirement for prospective mariners to 

take an oath before an authorized 

official and changing requirements for 

the completion and issue of a Certificate 

of Discharge to Merchant Mariner (Form 

CG–718A). In addition, the Coast Guard 

is making technical amendments to 

update addresses and websites, remove 

antiquated terminology, and adopt 

gender-neutral language. 

On March 14, 2024, the Coast Guard 

published a notice of proposed 

rulemaking (NPRM) titled ‘‘Mariner 

Credentialing Program Transformation,’’ 

(89 FR 18706) requesting comments on 

the proposed changes implemented by 

this final rule. A detailed description of 

the background and proposed changes 

can be found in the NPRM. See 89 FR 

at 18707–09. 

III. Discussion of Comments and 

Changes 

In response to our NPRM, the Coast 

Guard received five written 

submissions. All were in support of the 

proposed changes. Two submissions 

each contained a single comment in 

support of the proposed changes. Three 

submissions captured multiple 

comments, for a total of 11 comments, 

which provided detailed support of the 

proposed changes. One comment 

included a recommendation, which is 

discussed below. 

One commenter recommended the 

implementation of an electronic 

merchant mariner credential or ecredential. The Coast Guard appreciates 

this recommendation and may consider 

it as part of the future information 

technology system and the overall 

changes to the Mariner Credentialing 

Program (MCP), but finds the 

recommendation is beyond the scope of 

this rulemaking. Coast Guard 

regulations do not specify the form of 

the credential. 

After considering these comments, the 

Coast Guard is making two 

modifications from our previously 

proposed changes. In the NPRM, we 

proposed removing the words ‘‘the 

applicant’s fingerprints’’ from 46 CFR 

10.209(e)(3). This paragraph concerns 

information supplied from the mariner’s 

Transportation Worker Identification 

Credential (TWIC) enrollment before an 

MMC or endorsement is issued by the 

Coast Guard. This proposed change was 

included in the proposed amendatory 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 102299 

1The 2019 Federal Reserve Payments Study, p14, 

https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/ 

pressreleases/files/2019-payments-study20191219.pdf. 

2 Developments in Noncash Payments for 2019 

and 2020: Findings from the Federal Reserve 

Payments Study, p7, https://www.federalreserve.

gov/publications/files/developments-in-noncashpayments-for-2019-and-2020-20211222.pdf. 

instructions but not in Table 2— 

Summary of Impacts by Affected CFR 

Part, Subpart, and Section, or part of the 

NPRM’s Regulatory Analysis. See 89 FR 

at 18707–30. 

After consideration, the Coast Guard 

is not removing the words ‘‘applicant’s 

fingerprints’’ from 46 CFR 10.209(e)(3) 

as part of this final rule. Applicant’s 

fingerprints are a required part of the 

TWIC enrollment process governed by 

the Transportation Security 

Administration (TSA). Although 

fingerprints are not specifically used by 

the Coast Guard at this time on MMCs, 

the Coast Guard will retain the ability to 

use fingerprints on future MMCs for 

increased security purposes, especially 

if an electronic credential is developed 

as suggested by a comment received to 

the NPRM and discussed previously. 

The Coast Guard is also correcting a 

scrivener’s error contained in our 

proposed amendatory language for 46 

CFR 10.209(d)(1) by removing an 

unintentional repeat of the word ‘‘and.’’ 

Finally, this final rule removed some 

amendatory language included in the 

NPRM that was superseded by the 

publication of Electronic Submission of 

Mariner Course Completion Data final 

rule (Docket No. USCG–2021–0097, RIN 

1625–AC75) on November 25, 2024. 

IV. Discussion of the Rule 

This final rule allows for the 

electronic submission of MMC 

applications and supporting documents 

to the Coast Guard and requires 

electronic payment of mandatory fees 

through Pay.gov. This final rule also 

removes the requirement for original 

MMC applicants to take an oath before 

an authorized official or notary because 

the Coast Guard has determined it is a 

redundant part of the original MMC 

application process. This rule further 

amends the process for issuing 

certificates of discharge for mariners 

after completing a voyage by clarifying 

the procedures and by allowing for 

electronic processing and 

recordkeeping. Finally, the Coast Guard 

makes non-substantive changes to 

antiquated terminology and out-of-date 

website and address information to 

clarify existing regulatory text in the 

affected subparts of the CFR. 

To prepare for the future acquisition 

of an information technology (IT) 

system to replace the antiquated and 

inefficient Merchant Mariner Licensing 

and Documentation (MMLD) system 

used by the MCP, this rule amends 46 

CFR subchapter A, part 1, and 

subchapter B, parts 10–16, to allow for 

electronic submission of information, in 

a manner specified by the Coast Guard, 

to obtain MMCs, medical certificates, 

and the approval of mariner training 

courses and programs, Qualified 

Assessors, and Designated Examiners. 

Providing for the electronic submission 

of required information streamlines the 

credentialing process and prepares for 

the fully electronic IT system that will 

be used by the MCP and industry. 

This final rule requires electronic 

payment of mandatory fees through 

Pay.gov. Manual processing of the 

previously allowed cash, checks, credit 

cards, or money orders required 

significant work hours by National 

Maritime Center (NMC) and Regional 

Exam Center (REC) personnel, were 

difficult to validate and protect using 

the current system and did not meet the 

requirements of the U.S. Treasury. With 

this final rule, the Coast Guard no 

longer directly accepts payments made 

using these methods at RECs. 

Applicants who wish to continue to use 

cash or money orders can obtain a 

prepaid credit card to pay fees using 

Pay.gov. Applicants who wish to pay 

via personal check can make an 

Automated Clearing House (ACH) 

payment through Pay.gov. 

As noted in Section III. Background, 

of this preamble, the Coast Guard 

anticipates the use of cash or money 

orders to continue to decrease, based 

upon previous payment statistics. This 

also reflects the overall public trend in 

the United States to make payments 

using a credit card, debit card, or check. 

The 2019 Federal Reserve Payments 

Study and subsequent updates indicate 

a continued trend to using cards and 

ACH, with the growth rate of core 

noncash payments being 6.7 percent per 

year from 2015 to 2018, higher than the 

growth rate of 5.1 percent per year from 

2012 to 2015.1 Credit and debit card 

usage numbers declined with the onset 

of the COVID–19 pandemic, mostly 

from the lack of in-person transactions, 

but general growth continued, including 

the percentage of ACH payments.2

Electronic payment reduces the burden 

on Coast Guard personnel who process 

non-electronic payments (cash, check, 

money orders) and improves customer 

service to mariners by allowing for 

better reconciliation and more efficient 

processing of payments and refunds. 

This rule also changes 46 CFR 14.307, 

regarding entries on certificates of 

discharge for mariners after completing 

a voyage, to clarify the procedures and 

allow for electronic processing and 

recordkeeping. The process is clarified 

by requiring that each Master or 

individual in charge must, for each 

individual mariner being discharged 

from the vessel, prepare a Form CG– 

718A, in accordance with the 

procedures prescribed by the Coast 

Guard. The prescribed format may 

include the current CG–718A or other 

means provided by the Coast Guard, 

which allows for electronic processing if 

available in a new MCP system. 

If a Master or individual in charge of 

a vessel do not use a Coast Guardprescribed format, the mariner must be 

provided with all the same information 

included on Form CG–718A. This 

ensures the vessel Master or operating 

companies provide the required 

information to the mariner but allows 

for them to use vessel or company 

specific means, such as a payroll system 

incorporated in their vessel 

administrative systems. Following each 

voyage, every mariner being discharged 

must validate the information on Form 

CG–718A by signing it. The change from 

signing in ‘‘permanent ink’’ to ‘‘by 

signing’’ allows for more modern 

methods such as electronic signature or 

document verification. Finally, when 

the mariner departs the vessel, the 

Master or individual in charge must give 

Form CG–718A to the mariner, which 

could be provided electronically with 

the changes. The changes to Form CG– 

718A’s process creates a more modern 

and electronic means of processing the 

document. Under this final rule, there is 

no change to the certificate of discharge 

transmission process under 46 CFR 

14.311. 

In addition, this final rule removes 

the requirement to take an oath before 

an authorized official while certifying 

an Application for Merchant Mariner 

Credential (Form CG–719B). By signing 

the form, an individual attests to 

‘‘solemnly swear or affirm’’ to abide by 

the requirements of the oath. This 

legally binds a mariner, so no additional 

requirement before an authorized 

official is necessary. The Coast Guard 

also anticipates that the future MCP 

system would allow for electronic 

signatures and additional verification of 

identity, further negating the need for 

the requirement to take an oath before 

an authorized official. 

Finally, the Coast Guard adds 

technical amendments to 46 CFR parts 

1 and 10–16 as part of this rulemaking. 

These amendments account for updates 

to websites and addresses, remove 

antiquated language (such as ‘‘licenses’’ 

and ‘‘Merchant Mariner Document 

(MMD)’’, as those credentials are no 


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102300 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

3This final rule affects all applicants who apply 

for MMCs. Mandatory fees include evaluation, 

examination, and issuance fees. The Coast Guard 

data does not differentiate between these fees in the 

data it collects; the data the Coast Guard collected 

for this analysis are for any fees where applicants 

may pay for any or all of them at one time. 

longer issued by the Coast Guard), and 

make non-substantive changes to ensure 

gender-neutrality throughout. 

V. Regulatory Analysis 

We developed this final rule after 

considering numerous statutes and 

Executive orders related to the final 

rule. A summary of our analyses based 

on these statutes or Executive orders 

follows. 

A. Regulatory Planning and Review 

Executive Orders 12866 (Regulatory 

Planning and Review), as amended by 

Executive Order 14094 (Modernizing 

Regulatory Review), and 13563 

(Improving Regulation and Regulatory 

Review) direct agencies to assess the 

costs and benefits of available regulatory 

alternatives and, if regulation is 

necessary, to select regulatory 

approaches that maximize net benefits 

(including potential economic, 

environmental, public health and safety 

effects, distributive impacts, and 

equity). Executive Order 13563 

emphasizes the importance of 

quantifying both costs and benefits, of 

reducing costs, of harmonizing rules, 

and of promoting flexibility. 

This rule has not been designated by 

OMB as a significant regulatory action 

under section 3(f) of Executive Order 

12866, as amended by Executive Order 

14094. Accordingly, OMB has not 

reviewed it. The Coast Guard received 

no public comments on the regulatory 

analysis for the proposed rule. Details 

on the estimated cost savings of this 

final rule can be found in the rule’s 

Regulatory Analysis (RA) that follows. 

Changes From the Notice of Proposed 

Rulemaking 

For the reasons discussed in section 

III of this preamble, Discussion of 

Comments and Changes, we have made 

two changes to the regulatory text from 

the proposed rule. In § 10.209(e)(3), we 

retain the regulatory text ‘‘the 

applicant’s fingerprints,’’ and in 

§ 10.209(d)(1), we make a minor 

editorial change to remove an extra 

word ‘‘and’’ in the regulatory text. These 

changes do not necessitate a change to 

either the methodology or type of data 

used in the RA from the NPRM. We 

updated the regulatory analysis from the 

NPRM to account for 2023 wage rates. 

For this regulatory analysis, the term 

‘‘applicants’’ refers to all individuals 

who pay mandatory fees associated with 

an MMC application. The changes and 

estimated cost savings for § 10.219(d) 

affect these applicants. The phrase 

‘‘original applicants’’ refers to 

individuals who are applying for their 

first MMC and therefore are currently 

required to take an oath before an 

authorized official. The number of 

original applicants is a subset of all 

applicants because they must also pay 

fees. The changes and cost savings to 

§ 10.225(c) affect only original 

applicants. 

In this final rule, the Coast Guard 

updates 46 CFR subchapter A, part 1, 

and subchapter B, parts 10–16. The final 

rule will: 

• Require electronic payment of 

merchant mariner credentialing fees in 

§ 10.219(d); 3

• Remove the requirement for an oath 

to be administered by an official who 

serves as a notary public (or an 

authorized official who can administer 

an oath) on Form CG–719B in 

§ 10.225(c); 

• Allow for the electronic submission 

of certain documents in §§ 1.03– 

15(h)(2)(i) for appeals involving course 

approvals and merchant mariner 

personnel issues and 10.219(i) for 

requests involving no-fee MMCs; 

• Consolidate, condense, and clarify 

regulatory text for the processing of 

Form CG–718A in §§ 14.307(a), (b), and 

(c) when a mariner completes a voyage; 

and 

• Make non-substantive, editorial 

changes to current regulatory text, such 

as pronoun changes, address changes, 

the removal of certain terms, and other 

minor grammatical changes. 

Table 1 presents a summary of the 

impacts of the final rule. 

BILLING CODE 9110–04–P 


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Table 1. Summary of Impacts of the Final Rule 

Category Summary 

Applicability: - Requires applicants for an MMC to pay 

46 CFR subchapter A, part 1, and evaluation, examination, and issuance fees 

subchapter B, parts 10-16 electronically through Pay.gov4; 

- Removes requirement for original 

applicants to take an oath before an 

authorized official; 

- Provides the option of electronic 

submission of additional documents to 

support MMC applications and Coast 

Guard approvals; and 

- Makes editorial changes that clarify, 

'"emove, condense, and add non-substantive 

'"egulatory text. 

Affected Population - Applicants for MMCs; and 

- Approximately 36,838 applicants5, 

annually. 

Total Cost Savings of Final Rule: Assumption 1 (Cost Savings to applicants 

(7-percent discount rate-all estimates in ofMMCs): 

table, 2023 dollars) -Approximately $2.7 million over 10-year 

period of analysis. 

-Annualized, approximately $387,959. 

Assumption 2 (Cost Savings to 

applicants of MM Cs): 

-Approximately $3.3 million over 10-year 

period of analysis. 

-Annualized, approximately $467,552. 

Federal Government Cost Savings: 

-Approximately $230,491 over 10-year 

period of analysis. 

-Annualized, approximately $32,817. 

Total Cost Savings of Final Rule 

(includes Government estimates): 

Assumption 1 
102302 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

4Readers can access the National Maritime 

Center’s (NMC) website and Pay.gov to obtain 

information about the payment of fees at 

www.dco.uscg.mil/nmc/fees/. The Coast Guard 

accessed this web page in August 2024. 

5For this regulatory analysis, the term 

‘‘applicants’’ refers to all individual applicants who 

pay mandatory fees. The changes and estimated 

cost savings for § 10.219(d) affect these applicants. 

The phrase ‘‘original applicants’’ refers to 

individuals who apply for their first MMC and 

therefore are required by existing regulation to take 

an oath before an authorized official. The changes 

and cost savings to § 10.225(c) affect only original 

applicants. We also assume the affected population 

of applicants has bank accounts. 

BILLING CODE 9110–04–C 

We discuss the economic impact of 

these items individually in the cost 

savings section of this RA. 

This final rule generates cost savings 

to applicants, including original 

applicants, for two changes in 46 CFR 

10.219(d) and 10.225(c), and for the 

Federal Government in § 10.219(d). 

For § 10.219(d), each applicant will 

save approximately $13.06 for a credit 

card payment and about $11.41 for a 

cash payment with this final rule. 

For § 10.225(c), under Assumption 1, 

for all applicants, an individual 

applicant will save about $17.68; and 

under Assumption 2, for half of the 

applicants (6,976), each applicant who 

goes to a bank branch will save about 

$17.68; for the other half (6,976) of the 

applicants who go to a notary service, 

half of whom pay by credit card (3,488) 

and half of whom pay by cash (3,488); 

each applicant who pays by credit card 

will save about $23.61, and by cash, 

about $22.24. 

First, the changes in § 10.219(d) 

requires an applicant for an MMC to pay 

the required evaluation, examination, 

and issuance fees by electronic means 

through Pay.gov. Currently, an applicant 

can make a payment in person at an 

REC using cash, check, credit card or 

money order. With this final rule, the 

Coast Guard no longer accepts direct 

payments made using these methods; as 

a result, this final rule removes the 

payment options made with cash, check 

(in person), credit card (in person), and 

money order, and payments made by 

standard mail. The cost savings that we 

estimate for § 10.219(d) are for 

applicants who no longer expend the 

time to visit an REC to pay the fees by 

cash, check, credit card, and for 

payments made by check through 

standard mail. For the purpose of this 

analysis, we analyzed payments made 

by cash and credit card because they 

represented the majority of payments 

made in person at RECs. We also 

analyzed check and money order 

payments made by applicants outside of 

RECs. In addition to cash and credit 

card payments, applicants can also 

make payments by check and money 

order in person at an REC. However, the 

Coast Guard does not collect data to 

show where applicants made these 

payments. For this analysis and based 

on Coast Guard information from RECs, 


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nquantifiable Costs 

nquantifiable Cost Savings 

nquantifiable Benefits 

-Approximately $2.96 million over 10-year 

eriod of analysis. 

-Annualized, approximately $420,776. 

ssumption 2 

-Approximately $3.5 million over 10-year 

eriod of analysis. 

-Annualized, a roximatel $500,369. 

-There are no regulatory provisions of the 

mal rule that impose net costs on 

• ndividuals, companies, or the maritime 

"ndustry. 

-The final rule removes non-electronic and 

·n-person payments options for 

pplicants. 

-This final rule removes requirements in § 

10.219(d) and§ 10.225(c), which produces 

et cost savin s to a licants. 

- Provides cost savings from the option of 

lectronic submission of certain documents 

·n arts 1.03-15 h 2 i and 10.219 i . 

- Provides flexibility with option of 

lectronic submission of certain 

ocuments; 

- Clarifies submission of Form CG-718A in 

art 14.307; allows for additional signature 

ethods and retention rocedures. 

Note: Cost savings estimates in each assumption include estimates for§ 10.219(d). 
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 102303 

6A notary public is an individual who has met 

the requirements to provide notary public services 

to the general public in order to verify a person’s 

identity. Currently, in the case of Form CG–719B, 

when an original applicant applies for an MMC 

either at an REC or near an original applicant’s 

place of residence (either at a bank or bank branch 

or where there is a notary service in the U.S.), the 

original applicant must sign the form in the 

presence of a notary public. The notary public must 

also sign the form; this process serves as the oath 

for the original applicant in accordance with the 

information contained in Form CG–719B. Readers 

can access www.nationalnotary.org to obtain more 

information about notary services in the U.S. The 

Coast Guard accessed this web page in May 2024. 

7The Coast Guard collects information on the 

number of payment transactions for original 

applications and for other payments of MMC fees. 

For the purpose of this analysis, we assumed each 

payment transaction represents one individual or 

mariner. There may be more than one payment 

transaction for an application, but for tractability of 

this analysis, we assumed a one-to-one ratio. 

8The Coast Guard acknowledges that some banks 

or bank branches may not provide a notary public 

service free of charge; however, we assumed 

applicants with a bank account at a given bank do 

not incur a cost for a notary public service if they 

are a member of that bank. Readers can access these 

websites for more information on notary public 

services at banks: https://www.bankofamerica.com/ 

signature-services/notary/, and https:// 

www.citizensbank.com/learning/notary-publicservices.aspx. 

most applicants pay by cash or credit 

card at RECs; we then assumed 

applicants made check and money order 

payments by standard mail outside of an 

REC. 

The changes to § 10.219(d) also 

generates cost savings for the Federal 

Government and Coast Guard 

employees who no longer expend the 

time to process in-person payment 

transactions at RECs. 

The cost savings associated with 

§ 10.225(c) is from the removal of the 

requirement to have an oath 

administered by a person legally 

qualified to administer an oath, or a 

notary public, near an original 

applicant’s place of residence (in the 

town or city where an original applicant 

resides) before an original applicant 

receives an MMC.6 The Coast Guard 

does not expect the Federal Government 

to realize any cost savings associated 

with this change. The remaining 

changes will not generate any costs or 

cost savings to the maritime industry, 

individuals, or the Federal Government. 

Lastly, this final rule does not alter any 

current OMB-approved Coast Guard 

information collection request (ICR). 

§ 10.219(d) 

We estimate the total discounted cost 

savings for the change to § 10.219(d) for 

applicants who pay mandatory fees at 

RECs (typically by cash or credit card) 

and for applicants who pay by check 

and money order outside of an REC 

through standard mail to be 

approximately $1.0 million, rounded, 

over a 10-year period of analysis, using 

a 7-percent discount rate. The cost 

savings are associated with the time 

(transaction time) applicants save from 

making in-person payments to using 

Pay.gov. We estimate the annualized 

cost savings for applicants who pay inperson at RECs and by cash to be 

approximately $3,319 rounded, using a 

7-percent discount rate. We estimate the 

annualized cost savings for applicants 

who pay in-person at RECs by credit 

card to be approximately $130,039, 

rounded, using a 7-percent discount 

rate. We estimate the annualized cost 

savings for applicants who pay by check 

and money order through standard mail 

to be approximately $7,962 rounded, 

using a 7-percent discount rate. Finally, 

we estimate the total annualized cost 

savings of part 10.219(d) to applicants 

who pay in-person at RECs and by 

check and money order to be 

approximately $141,320 ($3,319 + 

$130,039 + $7,962), rounded. 

We estimate the discounted cost 

savings to the Coast Guard for the 

change to § 10.219(d) to be 

approximately $230,491 over a 10-year 

period of analysis, using a 7-percent 

discount rate. In addition, we estimate 

the annualized cost savings to the Coast 

Guard for this regulatory provision to be 

approximately $32,817, rounded, using 

a 7-percent discount rate. 

§ 10.225(c) 

In this regulatory analysis, we make 

two assumptions associated with the 

removal of the requirement to take an 

oath before an authorized official in 

§ 10.225(c). These assumptions apply to 

applicants who pay the mandatory fees 

and take an oath at a location other than 

an REC or at their place of residence (for 

the purpose of this regulatory analysis, 

we refer to individuals who are affected 

by the changes to § 10.225(c) only as 

‘‘original applicants’’). These two 

assumptions are necessary because the 

Coast Guard does not have data on 

whether original applicants obtain an 

oath through a notary public service at 

a bank near their place of residence, 

which is (Assumption 1), where an 

individual can obtain an oath for an 

original application along with a notary 

public signature, which we assume to be 

free of charge; or elsewhere, other than 

a bank, which is (Assumption 2), where 

there is a cost for the notary public 

service.7

Therefore, if the reader accepts 

Assumption 1 to be representative of the 

current actions by applicants, then the 

cost savings the Coast Guard estimates 

for this assumption to be the cost 

savings of the final rule, in addition to 

the cost savings from the change to 

§ 10.219(d). If the reader accepts 

Assumption 2 to be representative of the 

current actions by applicants, then the 

cost savings the Coast Guard estimates 

for this assumption is the cost savings 

of the final rule, in addition to the cost 

savings from the change to § 10.219(d). 

Other assumptions may be made by 

the reader about the locations or 

establishments where original 

applicants obtained an oath through a 

notary public service, such as through 

legal services, at a title application 

company, or other such local business 

services, but we believe these 

assumptions capture the actions that 

applicants take when they apply for 

MMCs. Lastly, for the purpose of this 

analysis, the Coast Guard assumes 

applicants have bank accounts. 

Assumption 1 for § 10.225(c): 

Our first assumption is that original 

applicants, who are affected by this part 

of the final rule, can obtain an oath 

through a notary public service or at a 

bank branch (which we assume to be 

free of charge with a bank account) near 

where they reside.8 Under this 

assumption, we estimate this final rule 

will save all original applicants (an 

estimated 13,951 annually, rounded) a 

discounted amount of approximately 

$1.7 million over a 10-year period of 

analysis, using a 7-percent discount 

rate. The cost savings include the cost 

of the travel time for an applicant who 

travels to obtain a notary public, the 

mileage cost, and the time an applicant 

waits at a bank to obtain a notary public 

signature. We estimate the annualized 

cost savings for original applicants to be 

approximately $246,640, using a 7- 

percent discount rate. These figures do 

not include the cost savings for the 

change to § 10.219(d). 

Assumption 2 for § 10.225(c): 

Our second assumption is that half of 

the original applicants can obtain an 

oath through a notary public service at 

a bank or bank branch near where they 

reside, which we assume to be free of 

charge (with a bank account). The other 

half of original applicants (an estimated 

6,976 annually, rounded) can obtain this 

service at a state office, an establishment 

that provides notary public services, or 

a similar entity which charges for a 

notary public service. Assumption 2 

considers the cost savings associated 

with the removal of the oath and the 

notary public service for the affected 

population of all original applicants, or 

13,951. Under this assumption, we 

assumed half of the original applicants 

will obtain a notary public at a bank, 

where it is free of charge, and half at an 


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102304 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

establishment other than a bank, where 

there is a cost for a notary public. The 

cost savings for half of the original 

applicants who obtain a notary public at 

a bank is from the time it takes to travel 

to a bank, the mileage cost, and the time 

to wait at a bank for a notary public. The 

cost savings for the other half of original 

applicants who obtain a notary 

elsewhere is the same as applicants that 

go to a bank with the addition of the 

cost savings from not having to pay for 

a notary public. 

With this assumption, the Coast 

Guard estimates the final rule will save 

original applicants a discounted amount 

of approximately $2.3 million over a 10- 

year period of analysis, using a 7- 

percent discount rate. The Coast Guard 

estimates the annualized cost savings 

for original applicants to be 

approximately $326,232, using a 7- 

percent discount rate. These figures do 

not include the cost savings for the 

change to § 10.219(d). 

For each assumption, the Coast Guard 

adds the same cost savings estimate for 

original applicants who are required to 

pay the fees electronically under the 

changes to § 10.219(d), or $141,320 

annualized, rounded. Specifically, for 

Assumption 1, the Coast Guard 

estimates the total discounted cost 

savings of the final rule for applicants 

to be approximately $2.7 million over a 

10-year period of analysis, using a 7- 

percent discount rate. The Coast Guard 

estimates the total annualized cost 

savings of the final rule under this 

assumption to be approximately 

$387,959. 

For Assumption 2, the Coast Guard 

estimates the total discounted cost 

savings of the final rule for applicants 

to be approximately $3.3 million over a 

10-year period of analysis, using a 7- 

percent discount rate. The Coast Guard 

estimates the total annualized cost 

savings of the final rule under this 

assumption to be approximately 

$467,552. 

In addition, the final rule generates 

benefits in the form of cost savings to 

MMC applicants. These benefits 

include: 

• A simplified payment transaction 

through electronic means (Pay.gov), 

saving applicants time and money; and 

• Reduced time burden for original 

applicants who no longer need to obtain 

an oath before an authorized official, 

which saves time and money. 

This final rule generates 

unquantifiable benefits, which include: 

• Flexibility for applicants by 

providing the option to electronically 

submit documents including the no-fee 

determination of eligibility request and 

the certificate of discharge; 

unquantifiable cost savings for 

applicants who choose the option to 

electronically submit certain 

documents; 

• Removal, addition, and clarification 

of regulatory text for Form CG–718A 

and other non-substantive regulatory 

text changes. The benefit to mariners is 

clearer regulatory text as a result of the 

editorial changes that we made. 

Table 2 presents a summary of the 

estimated impacts of the final rule. 


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Table 2. Summary of Impacts of the Final Rule by Affected CFR Part, Subpart, 

and Section 

46 CFR Section(s) Description of Final 

Affected Rule Chan e 

art 1-

Organization, 

General Course 

and Methods 

Governing Marine 

Safety Functions 

Subpart 1.01 -

Organization and 

General Flow of 

unctions: 

1.01-15 e 

ditorial; nonsubstantive regulatory 

ext changes, which 

includes updated 

ebsite for merchant 

ariner credentialing. 

o estimated impact. 

Estimated Cost 

or Cost Savings 

2023 dollars 

one 

Subpart 1.03 -

ights of Appeal: 

1.03-15(h)(2)(i) 

ditorial; non- o estimated one 

substantive regulatory impact. Manner of 

ext changes. Adds submission includes option 

option of electronic of electronic submission of 

submission for appeals appeals. Unquantifiable 

for course approvals. enefit of option for 

electronic submission of 

appeal, current paper-based 

appeal process is still 

acce ted. 

art 10 - Merchant ditorial; non- one 

ariner substantive regulatory impact. Clarifies the 

Credential ext changes. definition of "regional 

Subpart A - examination center or 

General: C"; adds definitions for 

10.107 en," "writing," and 

Subpart BGeneral 

equirements for 

II Merchant 

ariner 

Credentials: 

10.203(b); 

10.203(c); 

10.205(g); 

10.209 d 

ditorial; nonsubstantive regulatory 

ext changes. 

10.209( d)(l ); ditorial: removes 

10.209((d)(2); egulatory text for 

10.209(d)(3) applicant to retain 

10.209(e)(3)-change hotocopy of 

rom proposed rule credential and 

submission of certain 

writin ." 

o estimated impact. 

o estimated cost impact 

for removal of photocopy 

of credential and 

submission of certain 

documents because 

one 

one 
102306 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 


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10.209(i) 

10.211(±), (i), G), 

k), and (1) 

10.213(±) 

10.219(d) 

10.219(i)(l) 

uments in 

agraph 

(2). Other nonstantive regulatory 

t changes in 

egulatory 

equirement is still retained 

in§§ 10.227 and 10.231. 

o estimated impact. 

o estimated impact. 

o estimated impact. 

one 

one 

one 

Condenses paragraphs Cost savings in time saved Estimated 

(d)(l) through (5) into for payment transaction for annualized cost 

ne paragraph; applicants who chose to savings of 

equires payments to ay in person at an REC approximately 

e made and are now required to $141,320 to 

lectronically. submit payment applicants; 10-

electronically. Cost ear discounted 

savings from mail-in cost savings of 

checks. This removes the approximately 

in-person option for $ 1.0 million at 

applicants who chose to 7-percent 

ay in person at an REC. discount rate. 

ditorial; non- o estimated impact; 

substantive regulatory armer of submission 

ext changes. Adds includes option for 

ption of electronic electronic 

submission of request submission. Unquantifiable 

or determination of a enefit of option for 

equest for a fee electronic submission of 

aiver. equest for determination o 

eli ibili , current a erFederal 

Government 

annualized cost 

savings of 

approximately 

$32,817; 10-

ear discounted 

cost savings of 

approximately 

$230,491 at 7-

ercent discount 

ate. 

nquantifiable 

cost savings. 
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 102307 


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based request is still 

accepted. 

10.223( C )(iv)(5) Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

substantive regulatory 

ext changes. 

10.225(c) Removes the Cost savings for original Assumption 1: 

[Please note, the cost equirement for an applicants who obtain an Estimated 

savings estimates the oath to be oath other than through a annualized cost 

Coast Guard administered by any designated Coast Guard savmgs 1s 

tpresents for each Coast Guard individual because it is free approximately 

assumption in this designated individual of charge at an REC. Cost $246,640; 10-

subpart do not or any person legally savings is from original year discounted 

include the estimates permitted to applicants who do not need cost savings 

in§ 10.219(d)] administer oath in notary public signature on approximately 

jurisdiction of Form CG-719B. $1. 7 million at 

individual's place of ?-percent 

esidence. Other discount rate. 

minor non-substantive Assumption 2: 

regulatory text Estimated 

changes. annualized cost 

savings is 

approximately 

$326,232; 10-

year discounted 

cost savings 

approximately 

$2.3 million at 

?-percent 

discount rate. 

10.227(d)(4); Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

10.227( e )(1 )(i); substantive regulatory 

10.227( e )(1 )(iv); ext changes. 

10.227(e)(4); 

10.227( e )(6)(ii); 

10.227(g)(2)(ii); 

10.227(h) and (i) 

10.231 ( C )(5) Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

substantive regulatory 

ext changes. 

10.232(a); Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

10.232(a)(4); substantive regulatory 

10.223(d); ext changes. 

10.223( d)(3); 

10.223(d)(6) 

10.233(a), (b), and Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

(c) substantive regulatory 

ext changes. 

10.235(c), (d), (h), Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

and (i) substantive regulatory 

ext changes. 
102308 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 


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10.239, table 1 • torial; non- o estimated impact. one 

e regulatory 

es. 

Subpart C- ditorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

edical substantive regulatory 

Certification: ext changes. 

10.302 a 

Subpart D - ditorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

Training Courses substantive regulatory 

and Programs: ext changes. 

10.404 

10.405(a)(3); (b )(3) • torial; non- o estimated impact. one 

and (d); e regulatory 

10.409 e es. 

ditorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

equirements for substantive regulatory 

Officer ext changes. 

ndorsements 

Subpart AGeneral: 

11.lOl(b); 

11.102 a 

Subpart B -General ditorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

equirements for substantive regulatory 

Officer ext changes. 

ndorsements: 

11.201(c)(4), (g)(l) 

and (2), (h), (i) and 

(k); 

11.211(c); 

11.217 a 

Subpart C - STCW ditorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

Officer substantive regulatory 

ndorsements: ext changes. 

11.301(g); 

11.337 a 

ditorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

substantive regulatory 

equirements for ext changes. 

ational Deck 

Officer 

ndorsements: 

11.401(a), (b), and 

d 

11.402(c)(2) and (3), ditorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

and (d) substantive regulatory 

ext chan es. 

11.404(a)(2) and on- o estimated impact. one 

(b); e regulatory 

11.405 a ; es. 
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 102309 


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11.406(a)(l) and (2), 

and (c); 

11.407(c) and (d) 

11.412(a)(l) and (2), [Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

and (b) substantive regulatory 

~ext changes. 

11.414(a)(l)(iii) [Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

substantive regulatory 

~ext changes. 

11.418(a)(l) and (2), [Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

and (b) substantive regulatory 

~ext changes. 

11.420(a) !Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

substantive regulatory 

~ext changes. 

11.422(b)(4) and !Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

(c); substantive regulatory 

11.424(a)(l) and (b) ~ext changes. 

11.425(a)(2), (b ), !Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

and (d) substantive regulatory 

~ext changes. 

11.426(a)(l) [Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

substantive regulatory 

~ext changes. 

11.427(a)(2), (b ), !Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

and (d) substantive regulatory 

~ext changes. 

11.428(b); !Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

11.429(c) substantive regulatory 

~ext changes. 

11.433(a)(l) and !Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

(3); substantive regulatory 

11.435(a)(l) and ~ext changes. 

(2); 

11.437(a)(3) 

11.442(a)(l) and [Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

(2); substantive regulatory 

11.444(a)(2); ~ext changes. 

11.446(a)(l) and (b) 

11.450( c) and ( d); [Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

11.452(a) and (b); substantive regulatory 

11.454(c) and (d); ~ext changes. 

11.457(a) and (b) 

11.462(c) and [Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

(c)(4)(v) and (vi), substantive regulatory 

and (d)(4)(iv), (v), ~ext changes. 

and (vi) 

11.464( d), (g), and [Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

(h) substantive regulatory 

~ext changes. 
102310 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 


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11.465(a), (d), and Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

(e); substantive regulatory 

11.466(b) text changes. 

11.470(b)(l) and (2), Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

(c), (d)(l) and (d)(2), substantive regulatory 

and ( d)(2)(i), ( e ), text changes. 

(f)(2), (g), (h)(l ), 

(h)(2), (h)(2)(i), (i), 

(j)(2), and (j)(2)(i), 

and (k) 

11.472(a)(l), (a)(2), Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

and (b) substantive regulatory 

text changes. 

11.474(a)(l), Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

(a)(l)(i), (a)(l)(ii), substantive regulatory 

a)(2), and (b) text changes. 

11.480(b ), ( d), (f), Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

and (h) substantive regulatory 

text changes. 

11.482(b ), ( c ), and Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

(d) substantive regulatory 

text changes. 

11.491(a) Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

substantive regulatory 

text changes. 

SubpartE- Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

Professional substantive regulatory 

Requirements for text changes. 

National Engineer 

Officer 

Endorsements: 

11.501(c), (d), and 

e) 

l 1.502(b) Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

substantive regulatory 

text changes. 

11.503(a), (c)(2), Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

(3), and (4), and (d) substantive regulatory 

text changes. 

11.510(a)(2); Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

11.512(a)(l) substantive regulatory 

text changes. 

11.514(a)(l) and (2) Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

substantive regulatory 

text changes. 

11.542(a)(l) and (2), Editorial; non- No estimated impact. None 

and (b) substantive regulatory 

text changes. 
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11.544(a)(l) and (2), Editorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

and (b) substantive regulatory 

ext chan es. 

Subpart F - Editorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

Credentialing of substantive regulatory 

adio Officers: ext changes. 

11.603; 

11.604 

Editorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

substantive regulatory 

equirements for ext changes. 

ilots: 

11.701(d); 

11.703(d); 

11.705(c); 

11.707(b); 

11.713 a and b 

SubpartH- Editorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

egistration of substantive regulatory 

Staff Officers and ext changes. 

iscellaneous 

ndorsements: 

11.805(a) and (b); 

11.807(d); 

11.821 b 2 

Subpart I -Subjects Editorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

of Examinations: substantive regulatory 

11.903 C 1 ext chan es. 

on- o estimated impact. one 

e regulatory 

es. 

Editorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

equirements for substantive regulatory 

ating ext changes. 

ndorsements -

Subpart AGeneral: 12.103 a 

Subpart B -General Editorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

equirements for substantive regulatory 

ating ext changes. 

ndorsements: 

12.201 a 2 

Subpart C- Editorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

equirements for substantive regulatory 

ational Deck ext changes. 

ating 

ndorsements: 

12.401(c)(3); 

12.405(a); 

12.407 b 1 111 ; 
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12.409(b )(1 )(iii) 

Subpart E -General ditorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

equirements for a substantive regulatory 

Qualified Member ext changes. 

of the Engine 

epartment 

(QMED): 

12.501(c)(3); 

12.625(a)(l); 

12.627 a 1 

Subpart G - Entry- ditorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

evel National substantive regulatory 

atings and ext changes. 

iscellaneous 

atings: 

12.707; 

12.709(a); 

12.711 a 

Subpart H-Non- ditorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

esident Alien substantive regulatory 

embers of the ext changes. 

epartment on U.S. 

lag Large 

assenger Vessels: 

12.809 b 

ditorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

substantive regulatory 

ankerman ext changes. 

Subpart AGeneral: 

13.103(a) and 

13.107(a), (b), (c), 

d, e, and 

13.11 l(d)(3) and (4); ditorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

13.120(a), (b), (c), substantive regulatory 

d d ext chan es. 

Subpart B- ditorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

equirements for substantive regulatory 

ankerman-PIC ext changes. 

ndorsement: 

13.201 C 

13.203(a), (b), and torial; non- o estimated impact. one 

(c)(2); regulatory 

13.205 es. 

Subpart C- ditorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

equirements for substantive regulatory 

ankerman-PIC ext chan es. 
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(Barge) 

ndorsement: 

13.301(c); 

13.303(a) and 

(c)(2); 

13.305 

Subpart D- ditorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

equirements for substantive regulatory 

Tankerman- ext changes. 

ssistant 

ndorsement: 

13.401 

13.405(a) torial; non- o estimated impact. one 

e regulatory 

es. 

Subpart E - ditorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

equirements for substantive regulatory 

Tankerman- ext changes. 

ngineer 

ndorsement: 

13.501(c); 

13.503(a); 

13.505 a 

art 14 - Shipment ditorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

and Discharge of substantive regulatory 

erchant ext changes. 

ariners 

Subpart AGeneral: 

14.205; 

14.207 a 

Subpart C - emoves regulatory o estimated impact. one 

ischarge of ext in paragraph (a), emoval and consolidation 

erchant hich includes the of information in current 

ariners: aragraphs (a), (d), and (e) 

14.307(a), (b), and into paragraphs (a), (b), and 

(c) ( c) is currently required on 

information. Remove orm CG-718A. 

aragraphs ( d) and ( e) 

and consolidates 

egulatory text 

changes into 

aragraphs (b) and 

C. 

Subpart D- ditorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

Oceanographic substantive regulatory 

esearch Vessels: ext changes. 

14.403(a)(l) and 

(2); 

14.405 c and d 
102314 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

9Based on NMC data, most applicants paid fees 

by cash or check at RECs; however, a small, 

unknown number of applicants paid by check or 

money order. The Coast Guard does not maintain 

data on applicants who paid by check or money 

order at RECs, which may result in an 

underestimation of applicants who paid fees in 

person by these two methods. 

Affected Population 

The affected population of this final 

rule are applicants for an MMC 

(includes original applications or 

applicants who apply for an MMC for 

the first time) who pay MMC fees in 

person at an REC or outside of an REC 

through standard mail. Based on 

historical data from the NMC, the Coast 

Guard analyzed information on 

applicants who paid mandatory fees 

electronically through Pay.gov over a 7- 

year period from 2015 to 2021. Based on 

payment data from the NMC, one 

payment transaction represents one 

applicant for all transactions. Under this 

assumption, we assumed an applicant 

makes one trip to an REC and pays for 

all transactions at that time instead of 

taking time to make multiple trips and 

paying separately for transactions. For 

applicants who paid fees in person at 

RECs, the Coast Guard used a 5-year 

data period from 2015–2019 because 

after 2019, in-person transactions 

became very sporadic at RECs due to 

COVID–19 pandemic protocols and the 

data are not representative of the 

transactions over this period of time. 

The Coast Guard then established two 

population groups. For § 10.225(c) of 

this final rule, the Coast Guard defined 

the population as original applicants 

who paid mandatory fees by money 

order, check, and through Pay.gov, 

which gave us the number of applicants 

who took the oath outside of an REC 

and obtained a notary public service 

near where they reside. This is for 

individuals who applied for an original 

MMC only. As an annual average, the 

NMC recorded approximately 13,951 

payment transactions for original 

applications between 2015 and 2021. 

For § 10.219(d) of this final rule, the 

Coast Guard defined part of the 

population as applicants who paid the 

fees by cash or credit card in person at 

RECs for original applications, which 

gave us an estimated the number of 

individuals who likely took the oath at 

RECs, where it is free of charge.9 As an 

annual average, the NMC recorded 

approximately 1,206 in-person payment 

transactions for original applications 

between 2015 and 2019. For all other 

fees paid by applicants other than 

original applicants, the NMC recorded 

an annual average of 9,043 in-person 

payment transactions between 2015 and 

2019. The Coast Guard estimates the 

total average annual population of 

applicants, who paid fees in person at 

an REC during this period, to be 

approximately 10,249 applicants. 

Between 2015 and 2021, the Coast 

Guard also recorded an annual average 

of approximately 12,638 payments made 

by applicants who paid by check or 

money order outside of an REC through 

standard mail. Therefore, the Coast 

Guard estimates the total average annual 

population affected by this final rule to 

be approximately 36,838 (13,951 + 

10,249 + 12,638) applicants (see table 3). 


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art 15 - Manning ditorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

equirements: substantive regulatory 

umerous ext changes. 

aragraphs in 

15.103, 15.105, 

15.410, 15.515, 

15.520, 15.605, 

15.610, 15.701, 

15.730, 15.805, 

15.810, 15.812, 

15.815, 15.820, 

15.825, 15.901, 

15.905, 15.915, 

15.1001, 

art 16 - Chemical ditorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

esting substantive regulatory 

Subpart B- ext changes. 

General: 

ditorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

16.220(a)(l), (3), substantive regulatory 

nd (5); ext changes. 

16.230 b 1 

ditorial; non- o estimated impact. one 

anagement substantive regulatory 

nformation ext changes. 

S stem: 16.500 b 
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 102315 

10This form is part of a currently OMB-approved 

Coast Guard ICR with a control number of 1625– 

0012. Readers can access NMC’s website at https:// 

www.dco.uscg.mil/national_maritime_center/ to 

view this form and obtain information about the 

application process. The Coast Guard accessed this 

web page in August 2024. 

11Pay.gov accepts three payment types: credit 

card, prepaid card, and ACH payments. The Coast 

Guard does not collect data on the usage of prepaid 

cards for applicants who use Pay.gov. The Coast 

Guard also did not estimate a cost (and subsequent 

Continued 

Cost Savings Analysis 

Two changes in this final rule (in 46 

CFR 10.219(d) and 10.225(c)) result in 

quantifiable cost savings for MMC 

applicants. The other changes have no 

quantifiable economic impact on 

individuals, companies, or businesses, 

and will not result in costs or cost 

savings to them. 

The option in 46 CFR 1.03–15(h)(2)(i) 

and 10.219(i)(1) for electronic 

submission of certain documents that 

currently must be submitted by paper 

copy (see table 2) will likely have cost 

savings associated with it, but we are 

not able to quantify these savings in this 

analysis because the Coast Guard does 

not have data to show how many 

electronic submissions we will receive 

in the future. Additionally, because of 

the COVID–19 pandemic, the Coast 

Guard is not able to accurately 

determine a future trend of the number 

of documents that applicants will 

choose to submit to the Coast Guard 

electronically. 

In table 2, we presented a summary of 

the estimated impacts of the final rule 

and provided a description of the 

change for each affected CFR section. 

Where the description reads ‘‘Editorial; 

non-substantive regulatory text 

changes,’’ we make changes that include 

the addition, deletion, consolidation, 

and clarification of regulatory text that 

do not have cost or cost savings 

associated with them. These changes 

include minor grammatical revisions, 

such as changes to punctuation and 

pronoun changes; the clarification of 

regulatory text by removal, deletion, or 

consolidation of terms; definitional 

changes; and changes that update Coast 

Guard website addresses. This includes 

changes in § 10.209(d)(2), ‘‘General 

Application Procedures,’’ where the 

Coast Guard removes the regulatory text 

governing the submission of certain 

documents by applicants. There are no 

costs or cost savings for individuals that 

are associated with this change because 

the Coast Guard still retains this 

requirement in §§ 10.227 and 10.231. 

For § 1.03–15(h)(2)(i), ‘‘General,’’ the 

Coast Guard adds the option of 

electronic submission of an appeal for 

course approvals and merchant mariner 

personnel to the Coast Guard. There are 

no quantifiable cost or cost savings 

associated with this change because the 

Coast Guard does not have data on the 

future use of electronic submission for 

appeals. The Coast Guard still accepts 

the current paper-copy submission 

method for appeals. 

For § 10.219(i)(1), ‘‘Determination of 

Eligibility,’’ the Coast Guard adds the 

option of electronic submission of an 

eligibility request to the Coast Guard for 

the items listed in 10.219(h). There are 

no quantifiable cost or cost savings 

associated with this change because the 

Coast Guard does not have data on the 

future use of electronic submission with 

this item. The Coast Guard still accepts 

the current paper-copy submission 

method for these requests. 

For § 14.307, ‘‘Entries on certificate of 

discharge,’’ the information the Coast 

Guard removes in current paragraphs (d) 

and (e) is currently contained in form 

CG–718A, ‘‘Certificate of Discharge to 

Merchant Mariner;’’ therefore, there is 

no cost or cost savings associated with 

this change.10 The Coast Guard 

removes, consolidates, and condenses 

the existing regulatory text into 

paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this 

section. The changes to this section do 

not change the current OMB-approved 

ICR or alter its burden estimates because 

the Coast Guard is not making any 

changes to the reporting requirements in 

form CG–718A. 

Cost Savings Analysis for the Changes to 

§ 10.219(d)/Electronic Payment of Fees 

The Coast Guard amends § 10.219(d) 

and removes the option for applicants to 

pay merchant mariner credentialing fees 

in person at an REC by cash or credit 

card (applicants who pay in person may 

also pay by check or money order; 

because the Coast Guard does not 

collect data on where these payments 

were made, and based on payment data 

from the NMC, most applicants pay by 

cash or with a credit card in person) 

since credit card transactions are 

processed by individual RECs and cash 

payments are not accepted through 

standard mail. The Coast Guard instead 

requires all payments to be made 

electronically through the Government’s 

payment system at Pay.gov.11 For 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with RULES3ER17DE24.032</GPH>

Table 3. Affected Population of the Final Rule 

Affected Group Affected CFR Section Population 

Original applicants who paid 

fees electronically and took 

oath outside of an REC for 10.225(c) 13,951 original applications 

(relatively near place of 

residence) 

k<\11 applicants including a 10,249 (9,958 by credit card 

subset of original applicants 10.219(d) and 291 by cash; 1,206 

Kvho paid fees in person at from original applicants and 

OCIBCs. 9,043 from other applicants 

k<\11 applicants who paid by 

check or money order through 10.219(d) 12,638 

standard mail. 

Total - 36,838 

Note: The populations that the Coast Guard presents in this table are annual averages. 
102316 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

cost savings) to obtain these cards in this analysis 

because applicants can obtain these cards when 

they are at grocery stores or other locations without 

making a separate trip to specifically obtain the 

cards. In this analysis, we assume for the unknown 

number of applicants who choose to use a prepaid 

card to pay fees, already possess the card. 12U.S. Census Bureau, American Community 

Survey 2022, S2801 Types of Computers and 

internet Subscriptions: ACS 1-year Estimates 

Subject Tables, Types of Computers, https://

data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2022.S2801?

q=internet access. The Coast Guard accessed this 

web page in May 2024. The Census Bureau will 

release 2023 data in September 2024. Readers can 

verify this information at, https://www.census.gov/ 

programs-surveys/acs/news/data-releases/2023/ 

release.html (‘‘2023 Data Release New and Notable’’ 

(census.gov)). The Coast Guard accessed this web 

page in May 2024. 

13See footnote 15. 

14The Coast Guard acknowledges that there may 

be a small portion of applicants in the affected 

population who may not own a computer or have 

access to the internet to submit a MMC payment. 

Readers can access these websites for further 

information on access to the internet and the 

ownership of mobile phones in the United States: 

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/ 

internet-broadband/ and https://www.pewresearch.

org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile. The Coast Guard 

accessed these web pages in May 2024. 

payments made by check outside of an 

REC, applicants mailed the checks to 

the Coast Guard by standard mail. With 

the final rule, the Coast Guard still 

accepts payment by check, but 

applicants are required to use a bank 

ACH payment through Pay.gov. 

Applicants who mailed checks to the 

Coast Guard will save the postage cost 

with this final rule. The Coast Guard 

expects that applicants have access to 

the requisite technology to pay 

credentialing fees through Pay.gov. 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 

2022 American Community Survey, 

approximately 95 percent of American 

households have one or more electronic 

devices such as a desktop or laptop 

computer, a smartphone, or tablet.12

This included over 90 percent of 

households that have an internet 

subscription that will facilitate access to 

Pay.gov.13 Even if an applicant or 

household does not have access to a 

computer at home or the internet 

individually, in this case, the Coast 

Guard assumes for the purpose of this 

analysis, that an applicant may access a 

smartphone, cellphone, or computer to 

submit an application to the Coast 

Guard without incurring a cost.14

Additionally, with this final rule, we 

assume that a small population of 

applicants affected by part 10.219(d), 

who submit applications at RECs 

currently, will choose to continue to 

visit RECs and will continue to print 

receipts as proof of payment. However, 

the Coast Guard is not able to determine 

the number of applicants who will 

continue to visit RECs for this purpose. 

Therefore, there is an unquantifiable 

cost of the final rule with printing the 

receipts for a small number of 

applicants who visit RECs to submit 

their applications. This results in a 

small, unknown reduction in the total 

estimated cost savings of this rule. 

Applicants may visit an REC for many 

reasons; for example, to take an 

examination, to ask questions about the 

application process, submit an 

application, pay the mandatory fees, 

obtain an oath from an authorized 

individual, or for other reasons. This is 

notable in the following cost savings 

analysis because the Coast Guard does 

not include travel cost savings estimates 

for the affected applicants in our 

analysis of the impact of the change to 

§ 10.219(d). The Coast Guard reasons 

that, although it is possible for 

applicants to visit RECs exclusively to 

pay MMC fees, the Coast Guard does not 

retain data on the number of applicants 

who do so. In practice, the Coast Guard 

assumes applicants do not visit an REC 

to solely pay the fees. Therefore, the 

Coast Guard cannot attribute travel costs 

to applicants who pay the mandatory 

fees in person at an REC. For example, 

applicants may visit RECs to ask 

questions about the application process 

and may decide to pay the fees during 

the same visit. Or applicants may visit 

RECs to obtain an oath, not realizing 

that RECs accept in-person payment, 

and may decide to pay the fees during 

this visit. The Coast Guard also assumes 

that applicants pay the mandatory fees 

at one time. 

The requirement for applicants to pay 

MMC fees electronically through 

Pay.gov eliminates the flexibility to pay 

these fees by cash, and money order, by 

standard mail, and directly at an REC 

(see footnote number 13). However, 

with Pay.gov, the Coast Guard believes 

applicants will find this payment 

method to be more convenient and 

secure because applicants are able to 

pay MMCs fees from their home instead 

of traveling to an REC and expending 

the time and money by making a 

payment in person, as we discuss later 

in this analysis. The Coast Guard 

acknowledges that there may be a small 

subset of the applicant population that 

still prefer to pay MMC fees in person 

instead of through Pay.gov after an 

effective final rule. 

The Coast Guard collects data for all 

payment transactions including 

transactions for original MMC 

applications. Between 2015 and 2019, 

the Coast Guard recorded an annual 

average of 1,167 credit card transactions 

for original applications made in person 

by applicants at an REC. It also recorded 

an average annual of 8,791 credit card 

transactions for other fees for a total 

average annual of 9,958 credit card 

transactions over these 5 years. During 

the same period, the Coast Guard 

recorded an average annual of 39 cash 

payment transactions for original 

applications made in person by 

applicants at an REC. It also recorded an 

average annual of 252 cash transactions 

for other fees for a total average annual 

of 291 cash transactions for these 5 

years. Therefore, the total average 

annual number of transactions made in 

person was approximately 10,249 over 

the 5-year time period. 

The NMC estimates it takes applicants 

approximately 5 minutes, or 0.083 hours 

(rounded), to complete a payment 

through Pay.gov. The NMC estimates it 

takes a certain amount of time for 

applicants to make in-person 

application payments at an REC. For 

applicants who pay by credit card, the 

NMC estimates it takes approximately: 

• 8 minutes, or approximately 0.13 

hours (rounded), to enter RECs due to 

security checks; 

• 3.5 minutes, or approximately 0.06 

hours (rounded) to wait in line for a 

clerk; and 

• 7.5 minutes, or approximately 0.13 

hours (rounded) to make the payment 

and complete the transaction, for a total 

of approximately 0.32 hours. 

Therefore, the net amount of time 

(time difference) applicants save by 

making payments electronically rather 

than by credit card in person is 

approximately 0.237 hours (0.32–0.083 

hours). 

For applicants who pay by cash, the 

NMC estimates it takes approximately: 

• 8 minutes, or approximately 0.13 

hours (rounded) to enter RECs due to 

security checks; 

• 3.5 minutes, or approximately 0.06 

hours (rounded) to wait in line for a 

clerk; and 

• 6.0 minutes, or approximately 0.10 

hours to make the payment and 

complete the transaction, for a total of 

approximately 0.29 hours. 

Therefore, the net amount of time 

applicants save from making payments 

electronically rather than making cash 

payments in person is approximately 

0.207 hours (0.29–0.083 hours). 

The payment time we used for 

Pay.gov does not account for the time to 

create a personal account on Pay.gov. 

Individual payments may be made 

without creating an account. Pay.gov 

provides the same capabilities to pay 

credentialing and other fees and obtain 

a receipt without creating an account. 

For this analysis, the Coast Guard 

assumes individuals will not create an 

account because credentialing fees are 

typically paid only once every five 

years, which aligns with the validity 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with RULES3
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 102317 

15The BLS defines civilian workers to be ‘‘private 

industry workers and State and local government 

workers.’’ This includes individuals in the private 

nonfarm economy excluding households and the 

public sector excluding the Federal Government. 

Readers can view BLS’ glossary of terms at https:// 

www.bls.gov/bls/glossary.htm. Readers can access 

BLS’ website at: May 2023 National Occupational 

Employment and Wage Estimates (bls.gov) to obtain 

information about the wages used in this analysis. 

The Coast Guard accessed BLS’ web page in May 

2024. 

16A loaded mean hourly wage rate is what a 

company pays per hour to employ a person, not the 

hourly wage an employee receives. The loaded 

mean hourly wage rate includes the cost of nonwage benefits (health insurance, vacation, etc.). The 

Coast Guard calculated the load factor by accessing 

BLS’ website at https://www.bls.gov/ and selecting 

the topic ‘‘Data Tools’’ from the menu on this web 

page. Under this menu item, the Coast Guard 

selected the category ‘‘Top Picks, One Screen, 

Multi-Screen, and Maps.’’ On the next page titled, 

‘‘Databases, Tables, and Calculators by Subject,’’ the 

Coast Guard selected used the category ‘‘Pay and 

Benefits’’. Under the category, ‘‘Employer Costs for 

Employee Compensation’’, we selected the ‘‘MultiScreen’’ feature. This took us to https://

data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/dsrv?cm. At this page titled, 

’’Create Customized Tables’’, or screen 1, the Coast 

Guard then selected the category of ‘‘Civilian 

Workers’’. At screen 2, the Coast Guard first 

selected the category ‘‘Total Compensation,’’ then 

we continued to select ‘‘All Workers’’ at screens 3, 

4, and 5. At screen 6, for ‘‘Area’’ the Coast Guard 

selected ‘‘United States.’’ At screen 7, the Coast 

Guard selected the category ‘‘Cost of 

Compensation.’’ At screen 8, the Coast Guard 

selected the category ‘‘not seasonally adjusted.’’ At 

screen 9, the Coast Guard selected the series ID, 

CMU1010000000000D. The Coast Guard used the 

‘‘Cost of Compensation’’ for quarter 4 of 2023, or 

$45.42. The Coast Guard performed this process 

again to obtain the value for ‘‘Wages and Salaries,’’ 

which we selected on screen 2. On screen 9, the 

Coast Guard selected the series ID 

CMU1020000000000D and obtained a value of 

$31.29. The Coast Guard divided $45.42 by $31.29 

and obtained a load factor of 1.45, rounded. The 

Coast Guard used the same methodology to obtain 

the load factor for the occupational category for 

applicants other than original applicants. However, 

instead of using the category of ‘‘Civilian Workers’’, 

the Coast Guard selected ‘‘Private Industry 

Workers’’ at screen 1, ‘‘Total Compensation’’ at 

screen 2, ‘‘Transportation and Material Moving 

Occupations’’ at screen 3, ‘‘All Workers’’ at screens 

4 and 5, ‘‘United States’’ at screen 6, ‘‘Cost of 

Compensation’’ at screen 7, ‘‘not seasonally 

adjusted’’ at screen 8, and the series ID at screen 

9, CMU 2010000520000D. The Coast Guard again 

used the ‘‘Cost of Compensation’’ for quarter 4 of 

2023, or $34.43. The Coast Guard then selected 

‘‘Wages and Salaries,’’ at screen 2. On screen 9, the 

Coast Guard selected the series ID 

CMU2020000520000D and obtained a value of 

$23.89. The Coast Guard divided $34.43 by $23.89 

and obtained a load factor of 1.44, rounded. The 

Coast Guard then used the average of these two load 

factors, which is 1.45, rounded. The Coast Guard 

accessed this BLS’ website in May 2024. 

period of an MMC. Using Pay.gov 

infrequently does not necessitate the 

need to create an account. 

Anyone meeting the citizenship 

requirement under 46 CFR 10.221 and 

of an eligible age can apply for an MMC, 

regardless of their current employment 

status. For this regulatory analysis, the 

Coast Guard assumed applicants for an 

original MMC are currently employed 

(this is for original applications where 

an oath is currently required); this 

allows the Coast Guard to construct a 

cost savings analysis, because we can 

then obtain applicants’ wage rates, the 

labor time, and the cost savings 

associated with the removal of the inperson payment option. 

Additionally, because the Coast Guard 

does not know the current occupations 

of individuals who apply for an original 

MMC and pay fees in person at an REC, 

the Coast Guard used the Bureau of 

Labor Statistics’ (BLS) ‘‘Occupational 

and Employment Statistics’’ database 

and May 2023 wage estimates to obtain 

the general occupational code (BLS code 

00–0000) for all civilian workers in the 

U.S., which is the largest occupational 

category of workers the Coast Guard 

found at BLS’ website.15 The unloaded 

mean hourly wage rate for this 

occupational category is $31.48. The 

Coast Guard does not collect 

employment data on applicants; 

nevertheless, the Coast Guard 

acknowledges that the assumption of 

employment may lead to an 

overestimation of cost savings for the 

final rule. 

Because fees are also paid in person 

at an REC mostly by applicants other 

than original applicants, the Coast 

Guard used the BLS occupational 

category, Water Transportation Workers 

(BLS code 53–5000) to obtain the 

unloaded mean hourly wage rate for all 

applicants who pay fees in person at 

RECs. The unloaded mean hourly wage 

rate in 2023 for this occupational 

category is $38.00. 

Because the Coast Guard used 

different occupational categories, this 

required us to use two load factors to 

obtain an average load factor. 

To obtain a loaded mean hourly wage 

rate for civilian workers, the Coast 

Guard used BLS’ ‘‘Employer Costs for 

Employee Compensation’’ database to 

calculate the load factor for this group 

of workers in the U.S. The Coast Guard 

used the same database to obtain a load 

factor for the occupational category of 

Water Transportation Workers. The 

Coast Guard then used the average load 

factor for these two groups of workers in 

the U.S. The Coast Guard applied the 

load factor to the average unloaded 

mean hourly wage rate using fourth 

quarter data from 2023 for all 

applicants. The Coast Guard determined 

the average load factor for the two 

occupational categories to be about 1.45, 

rounded.16 The Coast Guard then 

multiplied this average load factor by 

the unloaded mean hourly wage rate for 

applicants, who pay fees in person at 

RECs, and obtained a loaded mean 

hourly wage rate of approximately 

$55.10, rounded ($38.00 × 1.45). 

Applicants (including original 

applicants) who currently pay the fees 

by credit card at an REC are required to 

pay them electronically using Pay.gov 

under this final rule. This affects 

approximately 9,958 applicants 

annually. The Coast Guard estimates the 

undiscounted cost for these applicants 

to be approximately $45,541 annually 

(9,958 × $55.10 × 0.083 hours), rounded. 

The Coast Guard estimates the 

undiscounted baseline cost for 

applicants who currently pay the fees by 

credit card in person at an REC to be 

approximately $175,580 annually (9,958 

× $55.10 × 0.32 hours), rounded. 

Therefore, the Coast Guard estimates the 

undiscounted net cost savings to 

applicants who currently pay the fees 

in-person by credit card and are now 

required to pay them electronically 

through Pay.gov to be approximately 

$130,039 annually ($175,580¥$45,541), 

rounded. 

Similarly, applicants (including 

original applicants) who currently pay 

the mandatory fees by cash at an REC 

are required to pay them electronically 

using Pay.gov under this final rule. This 

affects approximately 291 applicants 

annually. The Coast Guard estimates the 

undiscounted cost for these applicants 

to be approximately $1,331 annually 

(291 × $55.10 × 0.083 hours). The Coast 

Guard estimates the undiscounted 

baseline cost for applicants who 

currently pay the fees by cash in person 

at an REC to be approximately $4,650 

annually (291 × $55.10 × 0.29 hours), 

rounded. Therefore, the Coast Guard 

estimates the undiscounted net cost 

savings to applicants who currently pay 

the fees by cash and will need to pay 

them electronically through Pay.gov to 

be approximately $3,319 annually 

($4,650¥$1,331), rounded. The Coast 

Guard estimates the total undiscounted 

net cost savings for 10,249 (9,958 by 

credit card + 291 by cash) applicants 

who currently pay the mandatory fees 

in-person by credit card and cash and 

will need to pay them electronically 

through Pay.gov to be approximately 

$133,358 annually ($130,039 by credit 

card + $3,319 by cash), rounded. See 

table 4. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with RULES3
102318 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

17Readers can access USPS’ website at https:// 

www.usps.com to find past postal rates or search 

online for USPS’ ‘‘Postal News’’ or ‘‘USPS Forever 

Stamps Postage Rate 2023’’. 

Lastly, the final rule creates cost 

savings for applicants, other than 

original applicants, who paid 

mandatory fees by check or money order 

in the past and mailed the payment to 

the Coast Guard through standard mail, 

or USPS. Over the 7-year period from 

2015 to 2021, the Coast Guard recorded 

an annual average of 12,638 payments 

(10,146 by check and 2,492 by money 

order) where an applicant used a check 

or money order. Because this regulatory 

analysis is in 2023 dollars, the cost of 

a forever stamp from the USPS in 2023 

was $0.63.17 With this final rule, 

applicants will be able to use a check or 

money order to make mandatory fee 

payments with Pay.gov; however, 

payments made by check must be made 

with an ACH payment and for money 

orders, a prepaid card (see footnote 

number 15). The Coast Guard did not 

estimate cost savings for applicants who 

currently mail checks or money orders 

to the Coast Guard and will be required 

to use Pay.gov because we do not 

estimate that there is a time difference 

between these two payment methods 

and Pay.gov. The total undiscounted 

cost for these payment types is 

approximately $7,962 annually, 

rounded. The final rule creates cost 

savings in the same amount annually. 

The Coast Guard estimates the total 10- 

year discounted cost savings for 

applicants who can no longer mail a 

check or money order (cost savings are 

from the cost of a forever stamp) to pay 

for mandatory fees to be approximately 

$55,921, rounded, using a 7 percent 

discount rate. The Coast Guard 

estimates the annualized cost savings to 

be approximately $7,962, rounded, 

using a 7-percent discount rate. 

In table 5, the Coast Guard presents 

the 10-year discounted cost savings to 

applicants who currently paid the fees 

in person and are required to pay them 

electronically under this final rule, and 

applicants who paid the fees by check 

or money order and sent their payments 

by standard mail to the Coast Guard. 

The Coast Guard estimates the total 

undiscounted cost savings for the 

electronic payment of fees by applicants 

to be approximately $141,320 annually, 

rounded ($133,358 from in-person 

payments + $7,962 from mailed checks 

and money orders). The Coast Guard 

estimates the total discounted 10-year 

cost savings for these applicants to be 

approximately $1.0 million, rounded, 

using a 7-percent discount rate. The 

Coast Guard estimates the annualized 

cost savings to be approximately 

$141,320, rounded, using a 7-percent 

discount rate. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with RULES3ER17DE24.033</GPH>

Table 4. Summary ofUndiscounted Cost Savings for Applicants Who Currently 

Pay in Person at an REC and use Pay.gov with Final Rule, 2023 Dollars 

Current In-Person Transactions 

Credit Card Cash Users 

[tern Users 

Loaded Wage Rate $55.10 $55.10 

Population 9,958 291 

Time Estimate 0.32 0.29 

Cost Estimate $175,580 $4,650 

[n-Person Transactions Made With Pay.gov 

Credit Card 

Item Users Cash Users 

Wage Rate $55.10 $55.10 

!Population 9,958 291 

Time Estimate 0.083 0.083 

Cost Estimate $45,541 $1,331 

IN et Cost Savings $130,029 $3,319 

Total Annual Cost Savings $133,358 

Note: Totals may not sum due to independent rounding. 
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 102319 

18Readers can view the General Schedule of 

salaries for Federal Government employees at 

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/payleave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/23Tables/html/ 

RUS_h.aspx. The Coast Guard accessed this web 

page in May 2024. 

19Readers can view the report at, https:// 

www.cbo.gov/system/files/115th-congress-2017- 

2018/reports/52637-federalprivatepay.pdf. See 

pages 16 and 11 of the report, respectively. The 

Coast Guard accessed this report in May 2024. 

Federal Government Cost Savings for 

the Change to § 10.219(d) 

This final rule creates cost savings for 

the Coast Guard in the amount of time 

that is saved by REC personnel who no 

longer process in-person payment 

transactions. The NMC estimates it takes 

fee clerks at an REC approximately 5 

minutes, or 0.083 hours (rounded), to 

process credit card payments. Similarly, 

the NMC estimates it takes mandatory 

fee clerks approximately 25 minutes, or 

0.42 hours (rounded), to process cash 

payments. This includes the processing 

time the fee clerk takes to go to a bank 

and obtain a money order in order to 

complete the payment transaction. 

There is no difference in the time it 

takes for a fee clerk at an REC to process 

a check mailed to the Coast Guard and 

the time it would take with this final 

rule to process an ACH payment. There 

is also no difference in the time it takes 

for a fee clerk to process a money 

mailed to the Coast Guard and the time 

it takes with this final rule to process a 

prepaid card used from a money order. 

Therefore, the Coast Guard does not 

estimate cost savings for the Federal 

Government from not processing checks 

and money orders mailed to the Coast 

Guard by applicants. 

A fee clerk at an REC has a Federal 

Government General Schedule (GS) 

grade level of GS–5. The Office of 

Personnel Management (OPM) lists the 

hourly pay for Federal Government 

employees who work in the United 

States.18 Because RECs are 

geographically dispersed across the 

U.S., the Coast Guard used the hourly 

wage rate for the category ‘‘Rest of the 

United States’’ from OPM’s pay tables. 

OPM reports the hourly pay for a person 

with the grade level of a GS–5, step 5 

(the midpoint of the pay level) as $20.47 

in 2023. The Coast Guard calculated the 

share of total compensation of Federal 

Government employees to account for 

the non-wage benefits to determine the 

load factor that the Coast Guard applied 

to the hourly wage rate of employees. In 

a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) 

report titled ‘‘Comparing the 

Compensation of Federal and PrivateSector Employees, 2011 to 2015,’’ the 

CBO reports total compensation of 

Federal Government employees to be 

approximately $64.80, and wages and 

salaries to be approximately $38.30.19

From these values, the Coast Guard 

determined the load factor to be about 

1.69, rounded ($64.80 ÷ $38.30). The 

Coast Guard then multiplied this value 

by the hourly wage rate of $20.47 to 

obtain a loaded hourly wage rate of 

$34.59, rounded, for a GS–5, step 5 fee 

clerk at an REC. 

The Coast Guard estimates the 

baseline undiscounted cost for REC fee 

clerks to process credit card transactions 

to be approximately $28,589 annually, 

rounded ($34.59 × 9,958 credit card 

transactions annually × 0.083 hours). 

The Coast Guard estimates the baseline 

undiscounted cost for REC payment 

clerks to process cash transactions to be 

approximately $4,228 annually, 

rounded ($34.59 × 291 cash transactions 

annually × 0.42 hours). Because RECs 

no longer accept in-person payments 

with this final rule, these costs 

combined become cost savings to the 

Coast Guard of approximately $32,817 

annually, rounded ($28,589 + $4,228). 

See table 6. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with RULES3ER17DE24.034</GPH>

Table 5. Estimated Cost Savings of Final Rule to Applicants Who use Pay.gov (2023 

Dollars, 10-year Period of Analysis, 7- and 3-Percent Discount Rates) 

Net Cost Savings Cost Savings 

from Cash and from Check Total Cost 

Credit Card and Money Savings to use 

Year Payments Order Pay.~ov 7 Percent 3 Percent 

1 $133,358 $7,962 $141,320 $132,074 $137,203 

2 $133,358 $7,962 $141,320 $123,434 $133,207 

3 $133,358 $7,962 $141,320 $115,359 $129,327 

4 $133,358 $7,962 $141,320 $107,812 $125,561 

5 $133,358 $7,962 $141,320 $100,759 $121,903 

6 $133,358 $7,962 $141,320 $94,167 $118,353 

7 $133,358 $7,962 $141,320 $88,007 $114,906 

8 $133,358 $7,962 $141,320 $82,249 $111,559 

9 $133,358 $7,962 $141,320 $76,868 $108,310 

10 $133,358 $7,962 $141,320 $71,840 $105,155 

[otal - - - $992,569 $1,205,484 

k\nnualized $141,320 $141,320 

Note: Totals may not sum due to independent rounding. 
102320 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

20An oath an original applicant must take is a 

pronouncement that an original applicant will 

abide by the rules and regulations aboard a vessel, 

faithfully execute his or her duties, and obey the 

superior officers of the vessel. 

21This form is part of a currently-approved OMB 

ICR with a control number 1625–0040 and a title 

of ‘‘Applications for Merchant Mariners Credentials 

and Medical Certificates.’’ Readers can access 

NMC’s website at https://www.dco.uscg.mil/ 

national_maritime_center/ to view this form and 

obtain information about the application process. 

The Coast Guard accessed this web page in August 

2024. 

In table 7, the Coast Guard estimates 

the total discounted 10-year cost savings 

of this final rule to the Coast Guard to 

be approximately $230,491 rounded, 

using a 7-percent discount rate. The 

Coast Guard estimates the annualized 

cost savings to be approximately 

$32,817, rounded, using a 7-percent 

discount rate. 

Cost Savings Analysis for the Change to 

§ 10.225(c), Removal of the Oath 

Requirement 

The Coast Guard removes the current 

requirement in § 10.225(c) for applicants 

for an original MMC to take an oath 

administered by any Coast Guarddesignated individual or any person 

legally permitted to administer oaths in 

the jurisdiction where the person taking 

the oath resides. Typically, if an oath is 

not administered by a designated Coast 

Guard official, it is administered by a 

notary public.20 When an individual 

applies for an MMC, the individual 

must complete Form CG–719B. They 

must either submit this form by email, 

in person, or send it by standard mail 

to an REC.21 Currently, if applicants use 

a notary public to administer their oath, 

the notary must sign the form along 

with the applicant. The signature of the 

applicant is a testament to the validity 

and accuracy of the information the 

individual is providing to the Coast 

Guard and is an attestation to the 

statements in Section 4, ‘‘Mariner’s 

Consent/Certification,’’ of the form. 

With this final rule, original 

applicants no longer need the signature 


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Table 6. Summary of Estimated Annual Undiscounted Cost Savings to the Coast 

Guard from the Change to§ 10.219(d), 2023 Dollars 

Applicants' Payment Estimate of Time Wage Rate Cost Savings 

Type Saved (hours) Estimate 

Credit Card Payment 0.083 $34.59 $28,589 

Cash Payment 0.42 $34.59 $4,228 

r otal Annual Cost $32,817 Savings 

Table 7. Estimated Cost Savings to the Coast Guard from the Change to§ 10.219(d) 

(2023 Dollars, 10-year Period of Analysis, 7- and 3-Percent Discount Rates) 

Year Cost Savings 7 Percent 3 Percent 

1 $32,817 $30,670 $31,861 

2 $32,817 $28,663 $30,933 

3 $32,817 $26,788 $30,032 

4 $32,817 $25,036 $29,157 

5 $32,817 $23,398 $28,308 

6 $32,817 $21,867 $27,483 

7 $32,817 $20,437 $26,683 

8 $32,817 $19,100 $25,906 

9 $32,817 $17,850 $25,151 

10 $32,817 $16,682 $24,419 

Total - $230,491 $279,933 

Annualized $32,817 $32,817 

Note: Totals may not sum due to independent rounding. 
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 102321 

22The Coast Guard acknowledges that Credit 

Unions, similar to banks in the U.S., may also offer 

notary public services, free of charge, for its 

members. 

23Readers can access the St. Louis Federal 

Reserve’s ‘‘FRED’’ website at https://

fred.stlouisfed.org/#. At this page, readers should 

use the search feature and type the words ‘‘bank 

branches’’ in the search field. The resulting web 

page will show a graph of the data and the value 

that the Coast Guard used for this analysis. The 

Coast Guard accessed this web page in May 2024. 

With the acknowledgement that Credit Unions also 

offer notary public services (see footnote number 

15), the Coast Guard did not include them in this 

analysis because the National Credit Union 

Administration (NCUA) reports the total number of 

Federally-insured Credit Unions in its ‘‘Quarterly 

Credit Union Data Summary 2023 Q4’’ in the 

United States (4,604 as of December 31, 2023) and 

not per a certain population or certain group of 

individuals as FRED reports it. Therefore, the Coast 

Guard cannot simply add the NCUA’s number to 

FRED’s number because we would be combining 

incongruent data. Readers can view this report at 

https://www.ncua.gov/files/publications/analysis/ 

quarterly-data-summary-2023-Q4.pdf. The Coast 

Guard accessed this website in May 2024. Readers 

should also note that the number of bank branches 

has been in decline since 2000. See the first link 

to the report by the Federal Reserve Bank of 

Cleveland in footnote number 31. 

24For more information on U.S. census statistics 

and estimates, readers can access the U.S. Census 

Bureau’s website at https://www.census.gov/ 

quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045222. The Coast 

Guard accessed this web page in May 2024. 

25 ibid. 

26 ibid. 

27We base this estimate on the information 

presented in this RA. The actual number of bank 

branches in the U.S. may be less than this amount. 

Readers may refer to this source for an alternate 

estimate, https://www.bankbranchlocator.com. The 

Coast Guard accessed this web page in May 2024. 

28The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland reports 

the average distance to a bank branch in urban and 

rural areas of the United States to be about 1.5 miles 

and 4.3 miles, respectively, in 2020 (an average of 

about 2.9 miles combined), which is significantly 

less than the distance we calculated in this analysis. 

Readers can view the Cleveland Federal Reserve’s 

report at this link, ‘‘Has Bank Consolidation 

Changed People’s Access to a Full-Service Bank 

Branch?’’ (clevelandfed.org). In a working paper by 

the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, it reports the 

median distance traveled to a bank branch to be 5 

miles on page 16 of the paper. Readers can view 

this paper at https://www.chicagofed.org/-/media/ 

publications/working-papers/2023/wp2023- 

15.pdf?sc_lang=en. The Coast Guard accessed these 

links in July 2023. 

of the notary public on Form CG–719B. 

However, applicants will still need to 

sign the form, which alone is sufficient 

for Form CG–719B. 

Currently, applicants for an original 

MMC who submit their application in 

person at an REC can also take the oath 

there. There is no cost to original 

applicants who take the oath before a 

designated official at an REC and 

therefore, no cost savings. However, 

original applicants, who do not visit an 

REC to submit their application, will 

need to seek the service of a notary 

public elsewhere. 

Original applicants can obtain notary 

public service at a bank or another 

location where there are notary public 

services. The Coast Guard assumes there 

is no cost for a notary public service at 

a bank if an individual has a bank 

account there. Other establishments that 

provide legal services may also provide 

notary public services, in addition to 

State and local Government offices, 

including shipping companies.22

However, these offices and 

establishments usually charge for the 

public notary service. 

Therefore, as mentioned previously in 

this RA, the Coast Guard presents two 

assumptions that will each generate 

different cost savings estimates for the 

change to § 10.225(c). With each 

assumption, the Coast Guard assumes 

all applicants who apply for an original 

MMC are currently employed: 

• Assumption 1—Approximately 

13,951 individuals who applied for an 

original MMC and took an oath before 

a designated official who administers 

the oath, or a notary public at a bank 

where they have an account free of 

charge. 

• Assumption 2—Half the 

individuals, or approximately 6,976, 

who applied for an original MMC took 

an oath along with a notary public 

service at a bank, and half obtained an 

oath elsewhere (perhaps at a state office 

or an establishment that provides legal 

services including notary public 

services), where a cost is associated 

with the notary public service. 

Earlier in this analysis, the Coast 

Guard established that one payment 

transaction represents one original 

application with one oath. Presumably, 

original applicants seek a notary public 

service at a bank, where it is free of 

charge; this is our basis for Assumption 

1. However, because the Coast Guard 

does not have data on where original 

applicants obtained an oath along with 

a notary public service, it is possible 

that a certain number of original 

applicants obtained an oath along with 

a notary public service outside of a 

bank; this is our basis for Assumption 

2. As such, the Coast Guard divided the 

population evenly in Assumption 2. 

With the Coast Guard’s assumption 

that original applicants who apply for 

MMCs are employed, this allows us to 

estimate the cost savings associated 

with the change to § 10.225(c) as we did 

for the change to § 10.219(d). Because 

original applicants who apply for MMCs 

are members of the general public and 

not yet mariners, the Coast Guard does 

not collect data on where these original 

applicants reside. Therefore, the Coast 

Guard does not know where original 

applicants reside relative to the location 

of banks or bank branches, or other 

establishments that offer notary public 

services. This required the Coast Guard 

to estimate the approximate distance 

original applicants travel to get to a 

bank branch for Assumption 1, so the 

Coast Guard is able to estimate the cost 

savings for them, because they no longer 

need to travel to a bank branch to obtain 

a notary public service. To perform this 

analysis, the Coast Guard required 

several pieces of information to 

determine the distance original 

applicants must travel to a bank or bank 

branch (and a notary public service in 

Assumption 2): 

1. The number of bank branches in 

the United States; 

2. The total U.S. population and the 

U.S. adult population; and 

3. The number of square miles of the 

United States. 

The St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank 

compiles and reports U.S. economic 

data (Federal Reserve Economic Data, or 

‘‘FRED’’). One of the data items it 

reports is the number of bank branches 

in the United States. FRED shows that 

there are 30.46 bank branches per 

100,000 adults in the United States.23

The U.S. Census Bureau in the U.S. 

Department of Commerce reports 

population data for the United States. 

As of July 1, 2023, the U.S. Census 

Bureau estimates the U.S. population to 

be approximately 334,914,895.24 The 

U.S. Census Bureau reports the number 

of individuals below the age of 18 to be 

21.7 percent of the total U.S. 

population.25 Therefore, the number of 

adults in the United States (individuals 

who are 18 years of age or older) is 

approximately 262,238,363, rounded 

((1¥0.222) × 334,914,895). The Coast 

Guard divided this population by 

100,000 to normalize the value to 

100,000 (so it can be scaled to and 

combined with FRED’s data) and 

obtained the value of approximately 

2,622 (rounded). 

To determine the number of bank 

branches for every adult in the U.S., the 

Coast Guard multiplied 30.46 (number 

of bank branches) by 2,622 to obtain 

approximately 79,866 (rounded) bank 

branches. 

Finally, as of 2023, the U.S. Census 

Bureau’s Quick Facts shows the number 

of square miles in the United States to 

be 3,533,038, rounded.26 The Coast 

Guard then divided this value by 79,866 

bank branches to obtain the number of 

bank branches per square mile in the 

United States, or approximately one 

bank branch for every 44 square miles, 

or an area of 6.7 by 6.7 miles.27 This is 

equivalent to approximately one bank 

branch every 6.7 miles.28 The Coast 


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102322 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

29The Department of Transportation (DOT) has 

guidance on VTTS for individuals who use different 

modes of travel in the United States. The VTTS is 

divided into two categories, local and intercity 

travel. See table 1 on page 13 of the memorandum. 

Within these two categories, there are two 

subcategories, personal and business travel, in the 

first column of the table. Based on SME input from 

the NMC, applicants will most likely obtain an oath 

on their personal time. Therefore, we used the 

category, local personal travel. In the second 

column of the table, the Coast Guard used the 

category ‘‘surface modes (except high-speed rail)’’. 

Therefore, we used the value of 50 percent of the 

mean hourly wage rate for the VTTS. Readers can 

access DOT’s memorandum at https:// 

www.transportation.gov/office-policy/ 

transportation-policy/revised-departmentalguidance-valuation-travel-time-economic. At this 

link, to access the memorandum, readers should 

select the pdf document titled, ‘‘2016 Revised Value 

of Travel Time Guidance.pdf’’. The Coast Guard 

accessed this link in July 2023. 

Guard acknowledges that this 

methodology may not be completely 

representative of the geographic 

distribution of bank branches in the 

United States (the distribution of bank 

branches may change in the future 

considering the steady decline in its 

numbers, particularly since 2010); the 

distance we estimated is an 

approximation based on the known 

statistics we present in this analysis 

from different sources. Table 8 outlines 

the inputs used in these calculations. 

For this analysis, the Coast Guard 

assumed that 13,951 original applicants 

travel the same distance of 6.7 miles to 

obtain a notary public service at a bank 

or bank branch. Using these data and 

assumptions, it is possible to construct 

a cost savings analysis based on the 

original applicants’ travel time to a bank 

branch to obtain the service of a notary 

public. 

The population of original applicants 

applying for an MMC who seek notary 

public services outside of an REC is 

approximately 13,951 annually (see 

Table 3). The Coast Guard does not 

collect data on how original applicants 

travel to a bank or a notary public 

service and acknowledges that original 

applicants can choose among different 

modes of transportation, including 

walking or taking public transportation, 

to do so. However, for the purpose of 

this analysis, the Coast Guard assumed 

original applicants use their personal 

vehicles to accomplish this task, which 

allows the Coast Guard to estimate the 

travel cost for original applicants. 

To construct this analysis for 

Assumptions 1 and 2, the Coast Guard 

assumed that 13,951 original applicants 

travel approximately 6.7 miles one way 

or about 13.4 miles round-trip to an 

establishment that has a notary public 

service. See table 9. 

The Coast Guard shows the costsaving elements for Assumption 1 and 

2 in table 10. The Coast Guard estimated 

that the 13,951 original applicants 

affected by the change to § 10.225(c) 

save the travel time or labor cost for 

travel (the value of travel time savings 

or VTTS), the mileage cost, and the cost 

of time waiting at a bank or a notary 

public service.29 The Coast Guard 

included these cost savings in both 

Assumption 1 and 2. 

Under Assumption 2, half of these 

original applicants, or about 6,976, also 

save the cost of the time it takes to 

complete a payment transaction, either 

by credit card or by cash, at a notary 

public service. The Coast Guard 

assumed half of these original 

applicants currently pay by credit card 

and half by cash, for about 3,488 

original applicants choosing each 

payment method. 

The Coast Guard acknowledges that 

there is a greater concentration of banks 

and establishments with notary public 

services in urban and metropolitan areas 

of the United States. Additionally, 

considering that the population density 

of urban areas is greater than in rural 

areas, it is likely that the population of 

original applicants is higher in urban 

areas than in rural areas of the United 

States. Therefore, it is likely that a 


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Table 8. Summary of Inputs for the Change to§ 10.225(c) 

lnputs Values 

Number of bank branches in the United States 30.46 (per 100,000 adults) 

U.S. population 334,914,895 

U.S. adult population (18 or older) 262,238,363 

Number of square miles in the United States (land area) 3,533,038 

Number of bank branches in the United States 79,866 

Number of square miles per bank branch ( and notary 44 public service) 

Table 9. Summary of Travel Distance for Original Applicants Who Obtain the 

Service of a Notary Public at a Location Other than an REC (for example, a Bank) 

Number of Original Distance Traveled One 

A licants Wa miles 

13,951 6.7 

Distance Traveled 

Round Tri miles 

13.4 
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 102323 

30For this analysis, the Coast Guard did not 

account for the time it will take an applicant to park 

at a bank branch or notary public service. 

greater proportion of original applicants 

who apply for MMCs reside in urban 

and metropolitan areas and may travel 

shorter distances to reach these places, 

which will result in lower cost savings 

than the Coast Guard estimated in this 

analysis. Nevertheless, this analysis 

represents an analysis of averages 

because the Coast Guard does not know 

where original applicants who apply for 

MMCs reside. The Coast Guard 

acknowledges that bank branches (and 

notary public services) are not equally 

distributed in the United States; the 

travel distance of 6.7 miles we estimated 

in this analysis is an approximate 

distance to a bank branch or notary 

public service; the travel distance may 

vary for some applicants who reside in 

suburban and rural areas of the United 

States. 

In addition to the two main 

assumptions for the change to 

§ 10.225(c) that the Coast Guard 

presented earlier, we present a summary 

of the other assumptions (some of which 

we may have presented earlier in the 

analysis), that we included in the 

analysis for Assumptions 1 and 2: 

1. Original applicants for an MMC are 

currently employed in another 

occupation; 

2. Affected original applicants live 

approximately 6.7 miles from a bank 

branch or notary public; 

3. Affected original applicants travel 

an equal distance of 6.7 miles to a bank 

branch or a notary public service; 

4. The wait times and payment 

transaction times at bank branches and 

notary public are the same as wait times 

at an REC; and 

5. Original applicants use their 

privately-owned vehicle to travel to a 

bank branch or a notary public service. 

Cost Savings Analysis for Assumption 1 

for the Change to § 10.225(c) 

With Assumption 1, the Coast Guard 

assumed 13,951 original applicants 

currently obtain a notary public service 

for the purpose of the oath at a bank, 

where there is no charge for the service 

if original applicants have an account at 

the bank. Because the Coast Guard does 

not know where original applicants live 

in proximity to the location of bank 

branches, the Coast Guard assumed all 

13,951 original applicants travel about 

6.7 miles one-way or about 13.4 miles 

round-trip to a bank branch. Under this 

assumption, 13,951 original applicants 

save the labor travel time or VTTS, the 

mileage cost, and the time waiting at a 

bank branch to obtain a notary public 

signature on Form CG–719B under this 

final rule.30


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Table 10. Applicable Cost-saving Elements for Assumptions 1 and 2 for the Change 

to§ 10.225(c) 

Cost Savings Element § 10.225(c) § 10.225(c) Assumption 2 Assumption 1 

Travel time Yes Yes 

Mileage cost savings Yes Yes 

Waiting time at bank branch Yes Yes 

Waiting time at notary public No Yes service 

Time for payment transaction at No Yes 

notary public service 

Cost of notary public service No Yes 
102324 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

31At DOT’s homepage, under the heading 

‘‘Explore DOT,’’ the Coast Guard selected the topic 

‘‘Roadways and Bridges.’’ At this page, under the 

heading ‘‘Other Associated Agencies,’’ the Coast 

Guard selected the NHTSA link. There is no direct 

link, so in the search feature, the Coast Guard typed 

the words ‘‘traffic survey.’’ The Coast Guard then 

selected the link titled ‘‘National Traffic Speeds 

Survey III: 2015 Traffic Tech.’’ One result will 

appear, or a pdf version of the report that the Coast 

Guard used in this analysis. Readers can access the 

report at, https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/ 

files/traffic_tech/812489_tt-national-traffic-speedssurvey-iii-2015.pdf. The Coast Guard accessed this 

web page in in May 2024. 

32Readers should view the classification of 

roadways by DOT’s Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA) to understand the types of 

roadways used in DOT’s survey found in footnote 

number 34. The 2013 document describes the 

classification of roadways by the FHWA and is 

titled, ‘‘Highway Functional Classification 

Concepts, Criteria and Procedures’’, which readers 

can find at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/ 

processes/statewide/related/highway_functional_

classifications/fcauab.pdf. The Coast Guard 

accessed this link in July 2023. 

33To obtain the rates for privately owned vehicles 

for 2023, at the Federal Register’s homepage, search 

for ‘‘Calendar Year (CY) 2023 Privately Owned 

Vehicle (POV) Mileage Reimbursement Rates’’. This 

will take the reader to a GSA web page, at this page 

under ‘‘Summary’’, select the link, https://gsa.gov/ 

ftrbulletins. At the next page, select the bulletin 

with the date, 12/29/2022. This page contains the 

mileage rate for POA or privately owned vehicles 

under item ‘‘3a’’ of the bulletin. The Coast Guard 

accessed this web page in May 2024. 

To obtain the time it takes to travel 

this distance, the Coast Guard first 

accessed the Department of 

Transportation’s (DOT) website to 

access the National Highway Traffic 

Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) web 

page to obtain the mean road speeds on 

all roads.31 The 2015 report shows the 

free-flow speed estimates (mph) for 

three road classes: limited access, major 

arterial, and minor arterial roads/ 

collector roads. The Coast Guard used 

the mean speed for the minor arterial/ 

collector road class, which may be more 

representative of roads used by 

applicants. NHTSA estimates the mean 

speed for minor arterial/collector roads 

to be about 49.73 miles per hour 

(mph).32 The Coast Guard then divided 

the distance of about 6.7 miles (one 

way) by 49.73 mph to obtain the time 

it takes to travel this distance, or 

approximately 0.13 hours, rounded. The 

Coast Guard then divided the round-trip 

distance of about 13.4 miles by 49.73 

mph to obtain the time it takes to travel 

this distance, or approximately 0.27 

hours, rounded. The Coast Guard 

recognizes that an unknown portion of 

applicants, who live in urban areas, may 

travel at lower speeds than applicants in 

suburban and rural areas of the United 

States to get to a bank branch or notary 

public service. As a result, travel speeds 

may be lower than the 49.73 mph speed 

we estimated in this regulatory analysis. 

With this information, the Coast 

Guard then calculated the labor cost for 

all original applicants who currently 

expend the time to travel this distance 

to obtain a notary public service. Earlier, 

the Coast Guard established the loaded 

mean hourly wage rate for original 

applicants who apply for an MMCs to be 

approximately $45.65 (recall that this 

labor rate is for original applicants who 

need to take an oath; it is different than 

the labor rate for the mandatory fee 

portion of this analysis). Using the value 

of 50 percent for the VTTS for personal 

time (see footnote number 32), the Coast 

Guard calculated the labor cost for the 

time to travel the 13.4-mile round-trip 

distance for one original applicant to be 

approximately $6.16 ($45.65 × 0.50 × 

0.27 hours). Therefore, the Coast Guard 

estimates the total undiscounted labor 

travel time cost or VTTS, for 13,951 

original applicants to be approximately 

$85,938 annually, rounded (13,951 

original applicants × $6.16). Next, the 

Coast Guard calculated the mileage cost 

for these original applicants to travel the 

round-trip distance. The Coast Guard 

used the General Services 

Administration’s (GSA) reimbursement 

rates for original applicants who use 

their privately-owned vehicles.33 The 

GSA reports the rate per mile to be 

$0.655 for calendar year 2023. Using the 

round-trip distance of 13.4 miles, the 

Coast Guard estimates the cost for one 

individual to make this trip to be 

approximately $8.78, rounded (13.4 

miles × $0.655). The Coast Guard 

estimates the total undiscounted travel 

or mileage cost for 13,951 original 

applicants to be approximately $122,490 

annually, rounded (13,951 original 

applicants × $8.78). 

Lastly, the Coast Guard calculated the 

waiting time at a bank branch for 13,951 

original applicants to obtain a notary 

public signature on Form CG–719B. 

Because the Coast Guard assumed that 

waiting times at RECs is similar to 

waiting times at bank branches, we used 

the same waiting time that we used for 

original applicants who wait to pay the 

fees at an REC, or approximately 3.5 

minutes (readers should refer to the 

earlier discussion of this estimate), or 

0.06 hours, rounded. The Coast Guard 

estimates the total undiscounted cost for 

13,951 original applicants who 

currently wait at bank branches for a 

notary public service to be 

approximately $38,212 annually, 

rounded (13,951 × $45.65 × 0.06 hours). 

The Coast Guard estimates the total 

undiscounted cost for 13,951 original 

applicants affected by the changes to 

§ 10.225(c) and who currently travel to 

bank branches to obtain a free notary 

public service to be approximately 

$246,640 annually, rounded ($85,938 + 

$122,490 + $38,212). This estimate is for 

Assumption 1 of the analysis. Therefore, 

in this final rule, the Coast Guard 

estimates the total undiscounted cost 

savings to these original applicants, who 

no longer need to obtain notary public 

service at bank branches, to be 

approximately $246,640 annually, 

rounded. See table 11. 


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Table 11. Summary ofUndiscounted Cost-saving Elements for Assumption 1 for 

the Change to§ 10.225(c), 2023 Dollars 

Cost Savings Element Cost Savings Estimate Population Affected 

...,abor Travel Time Cost Savings $85,938 13,951 VTTS) 

Mileage $122,490 13,951 

Waiting Time at Bank Branch $38,212 13,951 

Total Annual Cost Savings $246,640 -

Note: Readers should not add together the populations in the third column. Totals may not sum due to 

independent rounding. 
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 102325 

The Coast Guard estimates the total 

discounted cost savings, under 

Assumption 1, over a 10-year period of 

analysis to be approximately $1.7 

million, rounded, using a 7-percent 

discount rate. The Coast Guard 

estimates the annualized cost savings to 

be approximately $246,640, rounded, 

using a 7-percent discount rate. See 

table 12. 

Cost Savings Analysis for Assumption 2 

for the Change to § 10.225(c) 

Because the Coast Guard does not 

collect data on where original 

applicants obtain a notary public 

service, with Assumption 2, the Coast 

Guard assumed half of the original 

applicants who currently apply for an 

MMC obtain a notary public service at 

a bank branch free of charge and half at 

a notary public, where there is a fee for 

the service. The half of the affected 

population who currently obtain a 

notary public service at a location other 

than a bank branch under this 

assumption consists of approximately 

6,976 original applicants. As in 

Assumption 1, 13,951 original 

applicants travel the same distance of 

about 6.7 miles one-way or about 13.4 

miles round-trip to a bank branch or a 

notary public service. For the time and 

the associated labor cost, it does not 

make a difference if these original 

applicants travel to a notary public 

service rather than a bank branch; they 

still incur the same labor cost for the 

travel time as in Assumption 1. The 

Coast Guard estimated earlier this total 

undiscounted labor cost, or labor travel 

time cost (VTTS), for 13,951 original 

applicants to be approximately $85,938 

annually, rounded. 

Similarly, these original applicants 

incur a mileage cost. As in Assumption 

1, it does not make a difference if they 

travel to a notary public service rather 

than a bank branch; they still incur a 

mileage cost. The Coast Guard estimated 

earlier the total undiscounted travel or 

mileage cost, for 13,951 original 

applicants, to be approximately 

$122,490 annually, rounded. 

Again, as in Assumption 1, 13,951 

original applicants incur the cost to wait 

at a bank branch or a notary public 

service. The Coast Guard estimates the 

total undiscounted cost for 13,951 

original applicants who currently wait 

at bank branches or at a notary public 

service to be approximately $38,212 

annually, rounded. 

With Assumption 2, the Coast Guard 

added the cost for half of the original 

applicants, or about 6,976, who pay for 

the notary public service outside of a 

bank branch. Similar to the payment of 

mandatory fees presented earlier, the 

Coast Guard assumed original 

applicants pay for a notary public with 

either a credit card or cash. For this 

analysis, the Coast Guard assumed half 

of the original applicants who currently 

pay for a notary public pay by credit 

card and half by cash. For the 

approximately 3,488 original applicants 

who currently pay by credit card, the 

Coast Guard used the same time 

estimate for this method of payment as 

we did for the payment of fees earlier, 

or approximately 0.13 hours (7.5 

minutes each). The Coast Guard 

estimated the total undiscounted cost 

for these original applicants who 

currently pay by credit card to be 

approximately $20,700 annually, 

rounded (3,488 × $45.65 × 0.13). 

The Coast Guard estimated the time 

for original applicants who currently 

pay by cash to be approximately 0.10 

hours (6.0 minutes each). For the 

approximately 3,488 original applicants 

who currently pay by cash, the Coast 

Guard estimated the total undiscounted 

cost to be approximately $15,923 

annually, rounded (3,488 × $45.65 × 

0.10). 

The last of the five cost elements for 

Assumption 2 (which are cost-saving 

elements with this final rule) is the cost 

for the notary public service itself. The 

Coast Guard obtained the cost for notary 

public services in the U.S. from the 

organization National Notary 

(NationalNotary.org). Readers should 


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Table 12. Summary of Discounted Cost Savings of the Final Rule under 

Assumption 1 for§ 10.225(c) Only (2023 Dollars, 10-year Period of Analysis, 7-and 

3-Percent Discount Rates) 

Total 

Waiting Time at Cost 

Year VTTS Milea2e Bank Branch Savin2s 7 Percent 3 Percent 

1 $85,938 $122,490 $38,212 $246,640 $230,504 $239,456 

2 $85,938 $122,490 $38,212 $246,640 $215,425 $232,482 

3 $85,938 $122,490 $38,212 $246,640 $201,331 $225,710 

4 $85,938 $122,490 $38,212 $246,640 $188,160 $219,136 

5 $85,938 $122,490 $38,212 $246,640 $175,851 $212,754 

6 $85,938 $122,490 $38,212 $246,640 $164,346 $206,557 

7 $85,938 $122,490 $38,212 $246,640 $153,595 $200,541 

8 $85,938 $122,490 $38,212 $246,640 $143,547 $194,700 

9 $85,938 $122,490 $38,212 $246,640 $134,156 $189,029 

10 $85,938 $122,490 $38,212 $246,640 $125,379 $183,523 

Total - - - - $1,732,294 $2,103,887 

Annualized $246,640 $246,640 

Note: Totals may not sum due to independent rounding. 
102326 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

34National Notary also includes fees for U.S. 

territories, with the highest amount being $25. The 

Coast Guard did not include the fees for U.S. 

territories in this analysis, because we have 

sufficient national data for this analysis. We used 

2024 fee data because National Notary does not list 

fees for 2023 on its website. 

refer to footnote 11 for more 

information. This organization provides 

cost data for 2024 for notary public 

services throughout the United States, 

including Washington DC and U.S. 

territories. 

The Coast Guard included fees from 

all 50 states and Washington DC in this 

analysis.34 Because the organization 

provides a fee schedule for verbal oaths, 

the Coast Guard used these fees as a 

proxy for the signature of the notary 

public on Form CG719B. The fee varies 

from state to state with the lowest 

amount being $2 and the highest $25. 

Ten states do not have a fee schedule or 

do not charge a fee altogether; 

nevertheless, the Coast Guard took the 

statistical average of the fees for all 50 

states and Washington, DC, for an 

average amount of approximately $6.16, 

rounded. Therefore, the Coast Guard 

estimates the total undiscounted cost for 

original applicants in this assumption 

who pay for a notary public service to 

be approximately $42,970 annually, 

rounded (6,976 × $6.16). 

The Coast Guard estimates the total 

undiscounted cost for original 

applicants in Assumption 2 for the 

changes to § 10.225(c) in this final rule 

to be approximately $326,232 annually, 

rounded ($85,938 + $122,490 + $38,212 

+ $20,700 + $15,923 + $42,970). 

Therefore, the Coast Guard estimates the 

total undiscounted cost savings to 

original applicants who no longer need 

to obtain a notary public service at bank 

branches or notary public services to be 

approximately $326,232 annually, 

rounded. See table 13. 

The Coast Guard estimates the total 

discounted cost savings under 

Assumption 2 over a 10-year period of 

analysis to be approximately $2.3 

million, rounded, using a 7-percent 

discount rate. The Coast Guard 

estimated the annualized cost savings to 

be approximately $326,232, rounded, 

using a 7-percent discount rate. See 

table 14. 


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Table 13. Summary of Undiscounted Cost-saving Elements for Assumption 2 for 

the Change to§ 10.225(c), 2023 Dollars 

Cost-savings Element Unit Inputs Population Cost-savings 

Affected Estimate 

!Labor Rate of Applicants $45.65 13,951 -

[Labor Travel Time 0.27 hours 13,951 $85,938 VTTS) 

Mileage Rate $0.655 per mile 13,951 $122,490 

M'aiting Time at Bank 

Branch and Notary 0.06 hours 13,951 $38,212 

Service 

Payment by Credit Card 0.13 hours 3,488 of 6,976 $20,700 

Payment by Cash 0.10 hours 3,488 of 6,976 $15,923 

k'\vg. Notary Fee $6.16 6,976 of 13,951 $42,970 

rrotal Annual Cost $326,232 Savine:s - - Note: Readers should not add together the populations in the third column of the table. The individual 

population for each item less than 13,951 is a subset of the total affected population of 13,951. Readers 

should use the estimated loaded labor rate of $45.65 to obtain the cost savings estimate in the last column 

of the table, except for the notary fee. Totals may not sum due to independent rounding. 
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 102327 

As noted earlier, the cost savings that 

the Coast Guard estimated for 

Assumptions 1 and 2 for the change to 

§ 10.225(c) do not include the cost 

savings from the change to § 10.219(d). 

However, in table 1 of this RA, where 

we present the total cost savings 

estimates of the final rule, the Coast 

Guard included the cost savings 

estimates for the change to § 10.219(d), 

because the Coast Guard must add the 

cost savings from § 10.225(c) to the cost 

savings estimate for § 10.219(d). Also 

recall that only one of the two main 

assumptions of this analysis will hold. 

The Coast Guard presented two different 

scenarios, because we do not know 

where affected original applicants 

currently obtain a notary public service. 

For Assumption 1 and including the 

cost savings estimates from the change 

to § 10.219(d), the Coast Guard estimates 

the total undiscounted cost savings of 

the final rule to be approximately 

$387,959 annually, rounded ($246,640 

from Assumption 1 and § 10.225(c) + 

$141,320 from § 10.219(d)). The Coast 

Guard estimated the 10-year total 

discounted cost savings of the final rule 

to be approximately $2.7 million, 

rounded, using a 7-percent discount 

rate. The Coast Guard estimated the 

annualized cost savings to be 

approximately $387,959, rounded, using 

a 7-percent discount rate. See table 15. 


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Table 14. Summary of Discounted Cost Savings of the Final Rule under 

Assumption 2 for§ 10.225(c) Only (2023 Dollars, 10-year Period of Analysis, 7- and 

3-Percent Discount Rates) 

Waiting Time to 

Time at Pay 

Bank Notary 

Branch by Cash 

or or 

Notary Credit Notary Cost 

Year VTTS Mileage Service Card Cost Savings 7 Percent 3 Percent 

1 $85,938 $122,490 $38,212 $36,622 $42,970 $326,232 $304,890 $316,730 

2 $85,938 $122,490 $38,212 $36,622 $42,970 $326,232 $284,944 $307,505 

3 $85,938 $122,490 $38,212 $36,622 $42,970 $326,232 $266,303 $298,549 

4 $85,938 $122,490 $38,212 $36,622 $42,970 $326,232 $248,881 $289,853 

5 $85,938 $122,490 $38,212 $36,622 $42,970 $326,232 $232,599 $281,411 

6 $85,938 $122,490 $38,212 $36,622 $42,970 $326,232 $217,382 $273,214 

7 $85,938 $122,490 $38,212 $36,622 $42,970 $326,232 $203,161 $265,257 

8 $85,938 $122,490 $38,212 $36,622 $42,970 $326,232 $189,870 $257,531 

9 $85,938 $122,490 $38,212 $36,622 $42,970 $326,232 $177,449 $250,030 

10 $85,938 $122,490 $38,212 $36,622 $42,970 $326,232 $165,840 $242,748 

Total - - - - - - $2,291,320 $2,782,828 

Annualized $326,232 $326,232 

Note: Totals may not sum due to independent rounding. 
102328 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

Readers should compare the total cost 

savings estimate and annualized cost 

savings estimate for the final rule in 

table 15 with the total cost savings 

estimate of the final rule for Assumption 

1 in table 1. 

For Assumption 2 and including the 

cost savings estimates from the change 

to § 10.219(d), the Coast Guard estimates 

the total undiscounted cost savings of 

the final rule to be approximately 

$467,552 annually, rounded ($326,232 

from Assumption 2 and § 10.225(c) + 

$141,320 from § 10.219(d)). The Coast 

Guard estimates the 10-year total 

discounted cost savings of the final rule 

for Assumption 2 to be approximately 

$3.3 million, rounded, using a 7-percent 

discount rate. The Coast Guard 

estimates the annualized cost savings to 

be approximately $467,552, rounded, 

using a 7-percent discount rate. See 

table 16. 


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Table 15. Summary of Total Discounted Cost Savings of the Final Rule under 

Assumption 1 (Includes Cost Savings from§§ 10.225(c) and 10.219(d) (2023 Dollars, 

10-year Period of Analysis, 7- and 3-Percent Discount Rates) 

Total Cost 

§ 10.225(c) Cost § 10.219(d) SavingsYear Savings Cost Savings Assumption 1 7 Percent 3 Percent 

1 $246,640 $141,320 $387,959 $362,579 $376,659 

2 $246,640 $141,320 $387,959 $338,859 $365,689 

3 $246,640 $141,320 $387,959 $316,690 $355,038 

4 $246,640 $141,320 $387,959 $295,972 $344,697 

5 $246,640 $141,320 $387,959 $276,610 $334,657 

6 $246,640 $141,320 $387,959 $258,514 $324,910 

7 $246,640 $141,320 $387,959 $241,602 $315,446 

8 $246,640 $141,320 $387,959 $225,796 $306,259 

9 $246,640 $141,320 $387,959 $211,024 $297,338 

10 $246,640 $141,320 $387,959 $197,219 $288,678 

Total - - - $2,724,864 $3,309,371 

!Annualized $387,959 $387,959 

Note: Totals may not sum due to independent rounding. 
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 102329 

Readers should compare the total cost 

savings estimate and annualized cost 

savings estimate for the final rule in 

table 16 with the total cost savings 

estimate of the final rule for Assumption 

2 in table 1. 

Including Federal Government cost 

savings, the Coast Guard estimates the 

10-year total discounted cost savings of 

the final rule under Assumption 1 to be 

about $2.96 million ($2,724,864 from 

table 15 and $230,491 from table 7), 

rounded, using a 7-percent discount 

rate. We estimate the annualized cost 

savings to be approximately $420,776, 

rounded, using a 7-percent discount rate 

($387,959 from table 15 + $32,817 from 

table 7). See table 17. 

Including Federal Government cost 

savings, the Coast Guard estimates the 

10-year total discounted cost savings of 

the final rule under Assumption 2 to be 

about $3.5 million ($3,283,889 from 

table 16 and $230,491 from table 7), 

rounded, using a 7-percent discount 

rate. We estimate the annualized cost 

savings to be approximately $500,369, 

rounded, using a 7-percent discount rate 

($467,552 from table 16 + $32,817 from 

table 7). See table 17. 

Unquantifiable Benefits of the Final 

Rule 

This final rule creates unquantifiable 

benefits for MMC applicants. This 

includes the flexibility to submit 

documents electronically; the changes 

are contained in §§ 1.03–15(h)(2)(i) and 

10.219(i)(1). Because this is an option in 

the future, the Coast Guard does not 

have data at this point to estimate the 

cost savings that are associated with the 

electronic submission of documents, if 

applicants were to choose this option. 

The use of Pay.gov provides a benefit 

to applicants because it is a free and 


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Table 16. Summary of Total Discounted Cost Savings of the Final Rule under 

Assumption 2 (Includes Cost Savings from§§ 10.225(c) and 10.219(d) (2023 Dollars, 

10-year Period of Analysis, 7- and 3-Percent Discount Rates) 

§ 

10.219(d) Total Cost 

§ 10.225(c) Cost Cost SavingsYear Savine:s Savine:s Assumption 2 7 Percent 3 Percent 

1 $326,232 $141,320 $467,552 $436,964 $453,934 

2 $326,232 $141,320 $467,552 $408,378 $440,713 

3 $326,232 $141,320 $467,552 $381,662 $427,876 

4 $326,232 $141,320 $467,552 $356,693 $415,414 

5 $326,232 $141,320 $467,552 $333,358 $403,314 

6 $326,232 $141,320 $467,552 $311,550 $391,567 

7 $326,232 $141,320 $467,552 $291,168 $380,163 

8 $326,232 $141,320 $467,552 $272,119 $369,090 

9 $326,232 $141,320 $467,552 $254,317 $358,340 

10 $326,232 $141,320 $467,552 $237,680 $347,903 

rrotal - - - $3,283,889 $3,988,313 

lA.nnualized $467,552 $467,552 

Note: Totals may not sum due to independent rounding. 

Table 17. Total Discounted Annualized Cost Savings of the Final Rule (2023 

Dollars, 10-year Period of Analysis, 7-Percent Discount Rate) 

§ 10.225(c) Cost Savine:s 

Assumotion 1 Assum~tion 2 

§ 10.219(d) Cost Savine:s $246,640 $326,232 

§ 10.219(d) - Applicants $141,320 $141,320 

§ 10.219(d) - Federal Government $32,817 $32,817 

Total cost savings under each Assumption $420,776 $500,369 annualized) 

Note: Readers should add together the cost savings in each of the two columns separately under the 

individual Assumptions to obtain the total cost savings. Totals may not sum due to independent rounding. 
102330 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

secure service that allows applicants to 

make payments to most Federal 

Government agencies. Pay.gov uses the 

latest industry-standard payment 

methods and encryption technology to 

safely collect, store, transmit, and 

protect applicants’ personal information 

throughout the payment process. 

Applicants can access and make 

payments through Pay.gov 24 hours a 

day, 7 days a week, and every day of the 

year, including holidays. 

In table 2, the Coast Guard lists the 

unquantifiable benefits where the 

regulatory text changes are more than 

minor grammatical changes. 

Analysis of Alternatives 

(1) Industry would continue to meet 

the current requirements in subchapter 

A, part 1 and subchapter B, parts 10– 

16 of title 46 of the CFR (current 

baseline without regulatory action). 

This alternative represents the current 

state of the MCP with no updates to 46 

CFR subchapter A, part 1 and 

subchapter B, parts 10–16. The Coast 

Guard rejected this alternative, because 

it does not require that applicants pay 

mandatory fees electronically through 

Pay.gov. This alternative maintains all 

the current, estimated, undiscounted 

costs between $246,640 and $326,232 

annually, rounded (see the estimated 

costs under Assumptions 1 and 2, 

respectively, in the preferred 

alternative). The Coast Guard also 

continues to request applicants provide 

receipt of payment when using Pay.gov 

(for example, attach receipt to 

applications and provide receipt for 

MCP services) although this is not 

required. Applicants still have the 

option of paying mandatory fees in 

person at an REC through cash, check, 

credit card, and money order. Although 

in-person payments remain an option, 

these applicants would not realize 

potential cost savings by using Pay.gov. 

In-person and standard mail payments 

made by applicants maintain the 

options that currently exist, which some 

applicants may find more convenient 

(for in-person payments, perhaps as a 

customer service benefit) over payments 

by electronic means. This alternative 

would also not result in time and cost 

savings to original applicants, who 

would still be required to take an oath 

before an authorized individual. 

Additionally, this alternative would not 

clarify existing regulatory text. 

(2) The Coast Guard would update 

regulatory requirements to align with a 

new MCP IT system and update 

mandatory fees with an incentive for 

electronic payment. 

With this alternative, the Coast Guard 

would replace the current MMLD 

database and would propose changes to 

46 CFR parts 10 through 14 and 16 to 

increase electronic submission of 

documents to support the credentialing 

process. With this alternative, the Coast 

Guard would provide an incentive to 

applicants to electronically pay 

mandatory fees through Pay.gov. It 

would be beneficial to applicants, who 

would save time and money; however, 

the Coast Guard is unable to estimate a 

cost savings for this item under this 

alternative because it would require a 

lengthy analysis of the Coast Guard’s 

mandatory fee program. 

The Coast Guard rejected this 

alternative because the update would 

require additional regulatory action to 

allow for future changes in the system, 

and any changes to mandatory fees 

would require further study and 

analysis by the Coast Guard, which 

would require the use of limited 

additional time and resources. 

(3) The Coast Guard would update 

regulatory requirements to align with a 

new MCP IT system and require 

electronic payment but would not 

address mandatory fees. 

With this alternative, the Coast Guard 

would not update the mandatory fees 

together with the requirement for the 

electronic payment of fees by 

individuals through a new MCP IT 

system. However, the Coast Guard kept 

the requirement under the preferred 

alternative (final rule) for the electronic 

payment of fees by applicants saving 

them approximately $141,320 annually, 

rounded (see the analysis for the 

preferred alternative for the derivation 

of this estimate), because it would not 

be connected to a new MCP IT system. 

The Coast Guard rejected this 

alternative because the new system is at 

the beginning stages of development, 

and, as a result, the Coast Guard is 

unable to estimate the economic impact 

of this new system on applicants and 

companies. Therefore, the Coast Guard 

cannot accurately determine any 

adjustments to mandatory fees based on 

the new system’s capabilities, potential 

costs to support the system, or cost 

savings generated from the system. 

(4) Preferred Alternative—Update 46 

CFR subchapter A, part 1 and 

subchapter B, parts 10–16 to update 

regulatory requirements to align with a 

new MCP IT system, require the 

electronic payment of fees and the 

option of electronic submission of 

supporting documents for an MMC 

application, remove the requirement for 

an oath to be administered by an 

authorized individual, and make 

editorial and non-substantive changes 

that clarify existing regulatory text. 

We selected this preferred alternative 

because with this final rule, applicants 

will be required to pay mandatory fees 

electronically using Pay.gov, which will 

result in cost savings to them from not 

having to visit RECs in person. 

Additionally, applicants will benefit 

from this final rule because it will create 

an option for the electronic submission 

of certain documents in §§ 1.03– 

15(h)(2)(i) and 10.219(i)(1). However, it 

should be noted that this preferred 

alternative removes the flexibility for 

applicants who wish to continue to pay 

the mandatory fees in person. We 

analyzed the time and cost difference 

between the different payment methods 

and the requirement to use Pay.gov 

previously in this regulatory analysis. 

This alternative also aligns with 

Department of Treasury regulations for 

promoting efficient, effective cash 

management through improved billing, 

collection, deposit, and payment of 

funds. The Coast Guard also removes 

the requirement for an oath to be taken 

by original applicants when they submit 

their MMC application. This saves time 

and money for original applicants who 

no longer need to travel to a bank or a 

bank branch or a notary public service 

to have the oath administered. Lastly, 

the Coast Guard makes numerous 

editorial changes to the affected CFR 

subchapters that clarify existing 

regulatory text. The Coast Guard 

analyzed and presented the cost savings 

and other unquantifiable benefits 

associated with this alternative earlier 

in this RA. 

B. Small Entities 

Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act 

(RFA), 5 U.S.C. 601–612, we have 

considered whether this final rule has a 

significant economic impact on a 

substantial number of small entities. 

The term ‘‘small entities’’ comprises 

small businesses, not-for-profit 

organizations that are independently 

owned and operated and are not 

dominant in their fields, and 

governmental jurisdictions with 

populations of less than 50,000. 

Based on the analysis in Section A, 

Regulatory Planning and Review, we 

found this final rule does not have a 

significant economic impact on a 

substantial number of small entities. 

The provisions of this final rule, which 

have an economic impact, affect 

individuals who apply for an MMC and 

do not directly regulate small entities. 

These include provisions that require 

electronic payment of merchant mariner 

credentialing fees in § 10.219(d), remove 

the requirement for an oath to be 

administered by an authorized official 

on Form CG–719B in § 10.225(c), and 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 102331 

allow for the electronic submission of 

certain documents in § 1.03–15(h)(2)(i) 

for appeals involving course approvals 

and merchant mariner personnel issues 

and in § 10.219(i) for requests involving 

no-fee MMCs. Since individual 

members of the public that are applying 

for MMCs are not considered to be small 

entities under the RFA, we have found 

that no small entities are impacted by 

these provisions of the final rule. 

Therefore, the Coast Guard certifies 

under 5 U.S.C. 605(b) that this final rule 

will not have a significant economic 

impact on a substantial number of small 

entities because based on our analysis, 

the provisions of the final rule that have 

an economic impact (which also include 

editorial changes) affect applicants and 

do not directly regulate or affect small 

entities. The changes we made to all of 

the remaining provisions are editorial in 

nature (see table 4 in Section V, 

Regulatory Analysis, for a list of these 

changes). 

C. Assistance for Small Entities 

Under section 213(a) of the Small 

Business Regulatory Enforcement 

Fairness Act of 1996, Public Law 104– 

121, we offer to assist small entities in 

understanding this final rule so that 

they can better evaluate its effects on 

them and participate in the rulemaking. 

The Coast Guard will not retaliate 

against small entities that question or 

complain about this final rule or any 

policy or action of the Coast Guard. 

Small businesses may send comments 

on the actions of Federal employees 

who enforce, or otherwise determine 

compliance with, Federal regulations to 

the Small Business and Agriculture 

Regulatory Enforcement Ombudsman 

and the Regional Small Business 

Regulatory Fairness Boards. The 

Ombudsman evaluates these actions 

annually and rates each agency’s 

responsiveness to small business. If you 

wish to comment on actions by 

employees of the Coast Guard, call 1– 

888–REG–FAIR (1–888–734–3247). 

D. Collection of Information 

The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

(44 U.S.C. 3507(d)) requires the U.S. 

Coast Guard to consider the impact of 

paperwork and other information 

collection burdens imposed on the 

public. According to the 1995 

amendments to the Paperwork 

Reduction Act, an agency may not 

collect or sponsor the collection of 

information, nor may it impose an 

information collection requirement 

unless it displays a currently valid OMB 

control number. 

The Coast Guard has determined that 

the final rule will not result in a new 

collection nor modify an existing 

collection of information. Thus, this 

final rule does not change the burden, 

number of respondents, or number of 

responses in the collections currently 

approved by OMB under OMB Control 

Numbers 1625–0012 with a title of 

‘‘Certificate of Discharge to Merchant 

Mariners’’ and 1625–0040 with a title of 

‘‘Applications for Merchant Mariners 

Credentials and Medical Certificates.’’ 

E. Federalism 

A rule has implications for federalism 

under Executive Order 13132 

(Federalism) if it has a substantial direct 

effect on States, on the relationship 

between the National Government and 

the States, or on the distribution of 

power and responsibilities among the 

various levels of government. We have 

analyzed this rule under Executive 

Order 13132 and have determined that 

it is consistent with the fundamental 

federalism principles and preemption 

requirements described in Executive 

Order 13132. Our analysis follows. 

It is well settled that States may not 

regulate in categories reserved for 

regulation by the Coast Guard. It is also 

well settled that all of the categories 

covered in 46 U.S.C. 3306, 3703, 7101, 

and 8101 (design, construction, 

alteration, repair, maintenance, 

operation, equipping, personnel 

qualification, and manning of vessels), 

as well as the reporting of casualties and 

any other category in which Congress 

intended the Coast Guard to be the sole 

source of a vessel’s obligations, are 

within the field foreclosed from 

regulation by the States. See the 

Supreme Court’s decision in United 

States v. Locke and Intertanko v. Locke, 

529 U.S. 89, 120 S.Ct. 1135 (2000). 

Therefore, because the States may not 

regulate within these categories, this 

rule is consistent with the fundamental 

federalism principles and preemption 

requirements described in Executive 

Order 13132. 

F. Unfunded Mandates 

The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act 

of 1995, 2 U.S.C. 1531–1538, requires 

Federal agencies to assess the effects of 

their discretionary regulatory actions. In 

particular, the Act addresses actions 

that may result in the expenditure by a 

State, local, or tribal government, in the 

aggregate, or by the private sector of 

$100,000,000 (adjusted for inflation) or 

more in any one year. Although this rule 

will not result in such expenditure, we 

do discuss the effects of this rule 

elsewhere in this preamble. 

G. Taking of Private Property 

This rule will not cause a taking of 

private property or otherwise have 

taking implications under Executive 

Order 12630 (Governmental Actions and 

Interference with Constitutionally 

Protected Property Rights). 

H. Civil Justice Reform 

This rule meets applicable standards 

in sections 3(a) and 3(b)(2) of Executive 

Order 12988 (Civil Justice Reform) to 

minimize litigation, eliminate 

ambiguity, and reduce burden. 

I. Protection of Children 

We have analyzed this rule under 

Executive Order 13045 (Protection of 

Children from Environmental Health 

Risks and Safety Risks). This rule is not 

an economically significant rule and 

will not create an environmental risk to 

health or risk to safety that might 

disproportionately affect children. 

J. Indian Tribal Governments 

This rule does not have tribal 

implications under Executive Order 

13175 (Consultation and Coordination 

with Indian Tribal Governments), 

because it will not have a substantial 

direct effect on one or more Indian 

tribes, on the relationship between the 

Federal Government and Indian tribes, 

or on the distribution of power and 

responsibilities between the Federal 

Government and Indian tribes. 

K. Energy Effects 

We have analyzed this rule under 

Executive Order 13211 (Actions 

Concerning Regulations That 

Significantly Affect Energy Supply, 

Distribution, or Use). We have 

determined that it is not a ‘‘significant 

energy action’’ under that order because 

it is not a ‘‘significant regulatory action’’ 

under Executive Order 12866 and is not 

likely to have a significant adverse effect 

on the supply, distribution, or use of 

energy. We have determined that it is 

not a ‘‘significant energy action’’ under 

Executive Order 13211, because 

although it is a ‘‘significant regulatory 

action’’ under Executive Order 12866, it 

is not likely to have a significant 

adverse effect on the supply, 

distribution, or use of energy, and the 

Administrator of OMB’s Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs has 

not designated it as a significant energy 

action. 

L. Technical Standards and 

Incorporation by Reference 

The National Technology Transfer 

and Advancement Act, codified as a 

note to 15 U.S.C. 272, directs agencies 

to use voluntary consensus standards in 


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102332 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

their regulatory activities unless the 

agency provides Congress, through 

OMB, with an explanation of why using 

these standards would be inconsistent 

with applicable law or otherwise 

impractical. Voluntary consensus 

standards are technical standards (for 

example, specifications of materials, 

performance, design, or operation; test 

methods; sampling procedures; and 

related management systems practices) 

that are developed or adopted by 

voluntary consensus standards bodies. 

This rule does not use technical 

standards. Therefore, we did not 

consider the use of voluntary consensus 

standards. 

M. Environment 

We have analyzed this rule under 

Department of Homeland Security 

Management Directive 023–01, Rev. 1, 

associated implementing instructions, 

and Environmental Planning 

COMDTINST 5090.1 (series), which 

guide the Coast Guard in complying 

with the National Environmental Policy 

Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321–4370f), and 

have made a determination that this 

action is one of a category of actions that 

do not individually or cumulatively 

have a significant effect on the human 

environment. A Record of 

Environmental Consideration 

supporting this determination is 

available in the docket. For instructions 

on locating the docket, see the 

ADDRESSES section of this preamble. 

This final rule is categorically excluded 

under paragraphs L54 and L56 of 

Appendix A, Table 1 of DHS Instruction 

Manual 023–01–001–01, Rev. 1. 

Paragraph L54 pertains to regulations 

that are editorial or procedural. 

Paragraph L56 pertains to regulations 

concerning the training, qualifying, 

licensing, and disciplining of maritime 

personnel. 

This final rule involves regulatory 

changes that are needed for 

implementation of a new information 

technology system that will replace the 

current MMLD database used by the 

Coast Guard to process mariner 

credentials. This new system features an 

electronic platform for activities such as 

mariners providing documents for 

applying for or maintaining mariner 

credentials, or submitting associated 

fees. In addition, the rule includes 

technical amendments, such as updates, 

to addresses and websites necessary for 

accessing or using MMLD. 

List of Subjects 

46 CFR Part 1 

Administrative practice and 

procedure, Organization and functions 

(Government agencies), Reporting and 

recordkeeping requirements. 

46 CFR Part 10 

Penalties, Personally identifiable 

information, Reporting and 

recordkeeping requirements, Seamen. 

46 CFR Part 11 

Penalties, Reporting and 

recordkeeping requirements, Schools, 

Seamen. 

46 CFR Part 12 

Penalties, Reporting and 

recordkeeping requirements, Seamen. 

46 CFR Part 13 

Cargo vessels, Reporting and 

recordkeeping requirements, Seamen. 

46 CFR Part 14 

Oceanographic research vessels, 

Reporting and recordkeeping 

requirements, Seamen. 

46 CFR Part 15 

Reporting and recordkeeping 

requirements, Seamen, Vessels. 

46 CFR Part 16 

Drug testing, Marine safety, Reporting 

and recordkeeping requirements, Safety, 

Transportation. 

For the reasons discussed in the 

preamble, the Coast Guard is amending 

46 CFR parts 1, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 

and 16 as follows: 

PART 1—ORGANIZATION, GENERAL 

COURSE AND METHODS GOVERNING 

MARINE SAFETY FUNCTION 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 1 is 

revised to read as follows: 

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552; 14 U.S.C. 503; 46 

U.S.C. 7701; 46 U.S.C. Chapter 93; Secs. 101, 

888, and 1512, Pub. L. 107–296, 116 Stat. 

2135; DHS Delegation No. 00170.1, Revision 

No. 01.4; § 1.01–35 also issued under the 

authority of 44 U.S.C. 3507; and § 1.03–55 

also issued under the authority of 46 U.S.C. 

3306(j). 

■ 2. Amend § 1.01–15 by revising 

paragraph (e) to read as follows: 

§ 1.01–15 Organization; Districts; National 

Maritime Center. 

* * * * * 

(e) Applicants for merchant mariner 

credentials may apply to the Coast 

Guard National Maritime Center or any 

of the NMC detachments. Applicants 

may contact the National Maritime 

Center at 100 Forbes Drive, Martinsburg, 

West Virginia 25404, by telephone at 1– 

888–I–ASK–NMC (1–888–427–5662), by 

email at IASKNMC@uscg.mil, or online 

chat at website https://

www.dco.uscg.mil/national_maritime_

center/. A list of NMC detachment 

locations is available through the 

website. 

* * * * * 

■ 3. Amend § 1.03–15 as follows: 

■ a. Revise paragraph (h)(2)(i); and 

■ b. In paragraph (h)(2)(ii), remove the 

period after the words ‘‘2703 Martin 

Luther King Jr. Avenue SE’’. 

The revision reads as follows: 

§ 1.03–15 General. 

* * * * * 

(h) * * * 

(2) * * * 

(i) Appeals involving course 

approvals and merchant mariner 

personnel issues must be in writing and 

mailed or electronically submitted to 

the Office of Merchant Mariner 

Credentialing (CG–MMC), U.S. Coast 

Guard, Stop 7509, 2703 Martin Luther 

King Jr. Avenue SE, Washington, DC 

20593–7509, by email to MMCPolicy@

uscg.mil, or as prescribed by the Coast 

Guard. 

* * * * * 

PART 10—MERCHANT MARINER 

CREDENTIAL 

■ 4. The authority citation for part 10 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 14 U.S.C. 503; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 

46 U.S.C. 2101, 2103, 2104, 2110; 46 U.S.C. 

chapter 71; 46 U.S.C. chapter 73; 46 U.S.C. 

chapter 75; 46 U.S.C. 7701, 8903, 8904, and 

70105; Executive Order 10173; DHS 

Delegation No. 00170.1, Revision No. 01.4. 

■ 5. In part 10:, 

■ a. Remove ‘‘his or her’’ wherever they 

appear, and add in their place ‘‘their’’; 

and 

■ b. Remove ‘‘he or she’’ wherever they 

appear, and add in their place ‘‘they’’. 

■ 6. Amend § 10.107 as follows: 

■ a. Revise the definition of ‘‘Regional 

examination center or REC’’; and 

■ b. Add a definition of ‘‘Written, 

writing, or in writing’’. 

The revision and addition read as 

follows: 

§ 10.107 Definitions in subchapter B. 

* * * * * 

Regional examination center or REC 

means a field office of the National 

Maritime Center that performs activities 

as required by this subchapter on behalf 

of the National Maritime Center. 

* * * * * 

Written, writing, or in writing means 

handwritten in ink, mechanically or 

electronically printed, or any form of 

expression that can be read, reproduced, 

or later communicated including 

electronically submitted and stored 

information. 

* * * * * 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 102333 

§ 10.203 [Amended] 

■ 7. Amend § 10.203 as follows: 

■ a. In paragraph (b), remove the text, ‘‘, 

license, MMD, COR, or STCW 

endorsement’’; and 

■ b. In paragraph (c), remove the text, 

‘‘an MMD and an MMC serve’’ and add, 

in its place, the text, ‘‘an MMC serves’’. 

■ 8. Amend § 10.209 by revising the 

introductory text of paragraph (d) and 

paragraphs (d)(1) through (3) to read as 

follows: 

§ 10.209 General application procedures. 

* * * * * 

(d) The application may be submitted 

in a manner prescribed by the Coast 

Guard that may include in person, by 

mail, or other electronic means. A 

complete MMC application, which is 

described in §§ 10.223, 10.225, 10.227, 

10.229, and 10.231 may include— 

(1) The application, consent for 

National Driver Register (NDR) check, 

oath, and the evaluation fee required by 

§ 10.219 of this part; 

(2) The applicant’s continuous 

discharge book, certificate of 

identification, and MMC if expired; 

(3) Proof, in a manner prescribed by 

the Coast Guard, which may include 

forms or other means, that the applicant 

passed the applicable vision, hearing, 

medical, or physical exam as required 

by subpart C of this part, or an 

unexpired medical certificate issued by 

the Coast Guard; 

* * * * * 

■ 9. Amend § 10.211 as follows: 

■ a. Revise paragraph (c); and 

■ b. In paragraph (f), remove the word 

‘‘furnishes’’ and add, in its place, the 

word ‘‘furnish’’; and 

■ c. In paragraph (i), remove the words 

‘‘has applied’’ and add, in their place, 

the words ‘‘have applied’’. 

The revision reads as follows: 

§ 10.211 Criminal record review. 

* * * * * 

(c) Criminal convictions. The 

Transportation Security Administration 

(TSA) will provide to the Coast Guard 

the applicant’s FBI number and criminal 

record generated in the TWIC review 

process. This information will be used 

by the Coast Guard to determine 

whether the applicant has a record of 

any criminal convictions. 

* * * * * 

■ 10. Amend § 10.217 by revising 

paragraph (a) to read as follows: 

§ 10.217 Merchant mariner credential 

application and examination locations. 

(a) Applicant Locations. Applicants 

for an MMC may apply to any of the 

Regional Examination Centers (RECs) or 

any other location designated by the 

Coast Guard. Applicants may contact 

the National Maritime Center at 100 

Forbes Drive, Martinsburg, WV 25404, 

by telephone 1–888–427–5662 or 304– 

433–3400, or by email at IASKNMC@

uscg.mil. A list of locations approved for 

application submittal is available 

through the Coast Guard website at 

https://www.dco.uscg.mil/national_

maritime_center/. 

* * * * * 

■ 11. Amend § 10.219 by revising 

paragraphs (d) and (i)(1) to read as 

follows: 

§ 10.219 Fees. 

* * * * * 

(d) Unless the Coast Guard provides 

additional payment options, fee 

payment must be for the exact amount 

and must be made by electronic 

payment in a manner specified by the 

Coast Guard. For information regarding 

current forms of electronic payment, go 

to the National Maritime Center’s (NMC) 

website, https://www.dco.uscg.mil/ 

national_maritime_center/. 

* * * * * 

(i) * * * 

(1) An organization may submit a 

written request in a manner prescribed 

by the Coast Guard that may include 

mail, email, or electronic means to U.S. 

Coast Guard National Maritime Center, 

100 Forbes Drive, Martinsburg, WV 

25404, at email IASKNMC@uscg.mil, in 

order to be considered an eligible 

organization under the criteria set forth 

in paragraph (h) of this section. With the 

written request, the organization must 

provide evidence of its status as a 

youth-oriented, not-for-profit, charitable 

organization. 

* * * * * 

■ 12. Amend § 10.223 by revising 

paragraph (c)(5) to read as follows: 

§ 10.223 Modification or removal of 

limitations or scope. 

* * * * * 

(c) * * * 

(5) Any expired MMC held by the 

applicant. If still valid at the time of 

application, the applicant must 

surrender the old, original credential to 

the Coast Guard within 30 days of 

issuance of the new credential. If 

requested at the time of submission, the 

old MMC may be returned to the 

applicant after cancellation. 

* * * * * 

■ 13. Amend § 10.225 by revising 

paragraph (c) to read as follows: 

§ 10.225 Requirements for original 

merchant mariner credentials. 

* * * * * 

(c) Oath. Every person who receives 

an original MMC must first solemnly 

swear or affirm, that they will faithfully 

and honestly, according to their best 

skill and judgment, without 

concealment or reservation, perform all 

the duties required by law and obey all 

lawful orders of superior officers. This 

affirmation remains binding for any 

subsequently issued MMC and 

endorsements added to the MMC, 

unless specifically renounced in 

writing. 

§ 10.227 [Amended] 

■ 14. Amend § 10.227 as follows: 

■ a. Remove the word ‘‘present’’ and 

add, in its place, the word ‘‘provide’’ 

wherever it appears; 

■ b. Remove the word ‘‘Present’’ and 

add, in its place, the word ‘‘Provide’’ 

wherever it appears; 

■ c. In paragraph (d)(4): 

■ i. Remove the word ‘‘uncanceled’’ and 

add, in its place, the words ‘‘expired or 

uncanceled’’; and 

■ ii. Remove the word ‘‘photocopy’’ and 

add, in its place, the word ‘‘copy’’; 

■ d. In paragraph (e)(1)(iv), remove the 

words ‘‘license or’’; 

■ e. In paragraph (e)(6)(ii), remove the 

words ‘‘License or’’; 

■ f. In paragraph (h), remove the words 

‘‘A license, MMD, COR, STCW 

endorsement, MMC, and any 

endorsements thereon, are’’ and add, in 

their place, the words ‘‘An MMC, and 

any endorsements thereon, is’’; and 

■ g. In paragraph (i)(1), remove the 

words ‘‘presentation of’’ and add, in 

their place, the words ‘‘providing 

evidence of’’. 

■ 15. Amend § 10.231 by revising 

paragraph (c)(5) to read as follows: 

§ 10.231 Requirements for raises of grade 

or new endorsements. 

* * * * * 

(c) * * * 

(5) Any expired or uncanceled MMD, 

MMC, license, STCW endorsement, or 

COR held by the applicant. If one or 

more of these credentials are still valid 

at the time of application, a copy—front, 

back, and all attachments—will satisfy 

this requirement. 

* * * * * 

§ 10.232 [Amended] 

■ 16. Amend § 10.232 as follows: 

■ a. In paragraph (a)(1), remove the 

word ‘‘presented’’ and add, in its place, 

the word ‘‘provided’’; 

■ b. In paragraph (a)(4), remove the 

word ‘‘licensed’’ and add, in its place, 

the word ‘‘credentialed’’; and 

■ c. In paragraph (d)(6), remove the 

word ‘‘License’’ and add, in its place, 

the word ‘‘credential’’. 


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§ 10.233 [Amended] 

■ 17. Amend § 10.233 as follows: 

■ a. In paragraph (a), remove the text 

‘‘License, MMD, COR, or’’; 

■ b. In paragraph (b), after the words 

‘‘made in writing’’ add the words ‘‘and 

provided in a manner specified by the 

Coast Guard’’; and 

■ c. In paragraph (c), after the word 

‘‘Invalid’’, add the words ‘‘or expired’’. 

§ 10.235 [Amended] 

■ 18. Amend § 10.235 by removing the 

text ‘‘, License, MMD, and COR’’ 

wherever it appears. 

■ 19. In § 10.239, amend Table 1 by 

revising the entry ‘‘MODU licenses’’ to 

read as follows: 

§ 10.239 Quick reference table for MMC 

requirements. 

* * * * * 

Table 1 to § 10.239: Quick Reference 

Table for MMC Requirements 

* * * * * 

Endorsement 

category 

Minimum 

age Citizenship 

Medical 

and physical exam Experience 

Recommendations and character check 

Firefighting 

Professional 

exam 

Demonstration 

of 

professional 

ability 

Recency 

of service 

First aid 

and CPR 

*******

MODU § 11.201(e); 

Note: exceptions.

U.S., 

§ 10.221(a)(1); 

§ 11.201(d) .....

§ 10.302(a) OIM: § 11.470; 

B.S.: § 11.472; 

BCO: § 11.474; 

ChEng: 

§ 11.542; 

Asst. Eng: 

§ 11.544 

N/A: 

Note exceptions in 

§ 11.201(g) for 

original national or 

STCW endorsements 

§ 11.201(h): 

note exceptions.

§ 11.201(j); 

§ 11.903; 

§ 11.920.

N/A original 

§ 11.201 

(c)(2); renewal.

§ 10.227(e) 

§ 11.201(i). 

*******

§ 10.302 [Amended] 

■ 20. In § 10.302(a), remove the words 

‘‘as appropriate’’ and add, in their place, 

the words ‘‘or as directed by the Coast 

Guard’’. 

§ 10.404 [Amended] 

■ 21. Amend § 10.404 by removing the 

text ‘‘, License, or document’’ wherever 

it appears. 

§ 10.405 [Amended] 

■ 22. In § 10.405, remove the words 

‘‘has attained’’ wherever they appear 

and add, in their place, the words ‘‘have 

attained’’. 

§ 10.407 [Amended] 

■ 23. In § 10.407(g)(3), remove the text 

‘‘paragraph (d)’’ and add, in its place, 

the text ‘‘paragraph (e)’’. 

§ 10.409 [Amended] 

■ 24. In § 10.409(e), remove the word 

‘‘present’’ and add, in its place, the 

word ‘‘provide’’. 

PART 11—REQUIREMENTS FOR 

OFFICER ENDORSEMENTS 

■ 25. The authority citation for part 11 

is revised to read as follows: 

Authority: 14 U.S.C. 503; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 

46 U.S.C. 2101, 2103, and 2110; 46 U.S.C. 

chapter 71; 46 U.S.C. 7502, 7505, 7701, 8903, 

8904, 8906, and 70105; Executive Order 

10173; DHS Delegation No. 00170.1, Revision 

No. 01.4. Section 11.107 is also issued under 

the authority of 44 U.S.C. 3507. 

■ 26. In part 11, revise the following 

references wherever they appear: 

■ a. ‘‘his or her’’ to read ‘‘their’’; and 

■ b. ‘‘he or she’’ to read ‘‘they’’. 

§ 11.102 [Amended] 

■ 27. In § 11.102(a), remove the period 

after the text ‘‘2703 Martin Luther King 

Jr. Avenue SE’’. 

§ 11.201 [Amended] 

■ 28. Amend § 11.201 as follows: 

■ a. In paragraph (c)(4), remove the 

word ‘‘has’’ and add, in its place, the 

word ‘‘have’’; 

■ b. In paragraph (g)(1), remove the text 

‘‘License, merchant mariner document 

(MMD), or MMC’’ and add, in its place, 

the text ‘‘merchant mariner credential 

(MMC)’’; 

■ c. In paragraph (g)(2) remove the 

words ‘‘license, certificate of registry,’’ 

wherever it appears, and add, in their 

place, the text ‘‘MMC’’; and 

■ d. In paragraphs (h)(1), (i), and (k) 

remove the word ‘‘present’’ wherever it 

appears and add, in its place, the word 

‘‘provide’’. 

§ 11.211 [Amended] 

■ 29. Amend § 11.211(c)(1) as follows: 

■ a. Remove the words ‘‘or license’’ 

wherever they appear; and 

■ b. Remove the words ‘‘licenses or’’. 

§ 11.217 [Amended] 

■ 30. Amend § 11.217(a) by removing 

the word ‘‘presents’’ and adding, in its 

place, the word ‘‘provides’’. 

§ 11.301 [Amended] 

■ 31. Amend § 11.301(g) by removing 

the words ‘‘of the license’’. 

§ 11.337 [Amended] 

■ 32. Amend § 11.337(a) by removing 

the word ‘‘present’’ and adding, in its 

place, the word ‘‘provide’’. 

§ 11.401 [Amended] 

■ 33. Amend § 11.401 as follows: 

■ a. Remove the words ‘‘License or’’ 

wherever they appear; and 

■ b. in paragraph (d), remove the word 

‘‘present’’ and add, in its place, the 

word ‘‘provide’’. 

§ 11.402 [Amended] 

■ 34. Amend § 11.402 as follows: 

■ a. In paragraph (c)(2), remove the 

words ‘‘License or’’; and 

■ b. In paragraph (c)(3): 

■ i. Remove the words ‘‘a License or’’ 

and add, in their place, the text ‘‘an 

MMC’’; and 

■ ii. Remove the words ‘‘Mate’s License 

or’’ and add, in their place, the word 

‘‘Mate’s’’. 

§ 11.404 [Amended] 

■ 35. Amend § 11.404 as follows: 

■ a. In paragraph (a)(2), remove the 

words ‘‘a License or’’ and add, in their 

place, the word ‘‘an’’; and 

■ b. In paragraph (b), remove the words 

‘‘or License’’. 

§ 11.405 [Amended] 

■ 36. Amend § 11.405(a) by removing 

the words ‘‘a License or’’ and adding, in 

their place, the word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 11.406 [Amended] 

■ 37. Amend § 11.406 as follows: 

■ a. Remove the words ‘‘a License or’’ 

wherever they appear and add, in their 

place, the word ‘‘an’’; and 


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■ b. In paragraph (c), remove the words 

‘‘or License’’. 

§ 11.407 [Amended] 

■ 38. Amend § 11.407 as follows: 

■ a. In paragraph (c), remove the words 

‘‘a license or’’ and add, in their place, 

the word ‘‘an’’; and 

■ b. In paragraph (d), remove the words 

‘‘or License’’. 

§ 11.412 [Amended] 

■ 39. Amend § 11.412 by removing the 

words ‘‘a License or’’ wherever they 

appear and adding, in their place, the 

word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 11.414 [Amended] 

■ 40. Amend § 11.414(a)(1)(iii) by 

removing the words ‘‘a License or’’ and 

adding, in their place, the word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 11.418 [Amended] 

■ 41. Amend § 11.418 by removing the 

words ‘‘a License or’’ wherever they 

appear and adding, in their place, the 

word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 11.420 [Amended] 

■ 42. Amend § 11.420(a) by removing 

the words ‘‘a License or’’ and adding, in 

their place, the word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 11.422 [Amended] 

■ 43. Amend § 11.422 as follows: 

■ a. In paragraph (b)(4), remove the 

words ‘‘License or’’; and 

■ b. In paragraph (c), remove the words 

‘‘or License’’. 

§ 11.424 [Amended] 

■ 44. Amend § 11.424 as follows: 

■ a. In paragraph (a)(1), remove the 

words ‘‘a License or’’ and add, in their 

place, the word ‘‘an’’; and 

■ b. In paragraph (b), remove the words 

‘‘License or’’. 

§ 11.425 [Amended] 

■ 45. Amend § 11.425 as follows: 

■ a. Remove the words ‘‘a License or’’ 

wherever they appear and add, in their 

place, the word ‘‘an’’; and 

■ b. In paragraph (d), remove the word 

‘‘presentation’’ and add, in its place, the 

words ‘‘providing evidence’’. 

§ 11.426 [Amended] 

■ 46. Amend § 11.426(a)(1) by removing 

the words ‘‘a License or’’ and adding, in 

their place, the word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 11.427 [Amended] 

■ 47. Amend § 11.427 as follows: 

■ a. Remove the words ‘‘a License or’’ 

wherever they appear and add, in their 

place, the word ‘‘an’’; and 

■ b. In paragraph (d), remove the word 

‘‘presentation’’ and add, in its place, the 

word ‘‘providing evidence’’. 

§ 11.428 [Amended] 

■ 48. Amend § 11.428(b) by removing 

the words ‘‘License or’’. 

§ 11.429 [Amended] 

■ 49. Amend § 11.429(c) by removing 

the words ‘‘License or’’. 

§ 11.433 [Amended] 

■ 50. Amend § 11.433(a) by removing 

the words ‘‘a License or’’ wherever they 

appear and adding, in their place, the 

word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 11.435 [Amended] 

■ 51. Amend § 11.435 as follows: 

■ a. In paragraph (a)(1), remove the 

words ‘‘a License or’’ and add, in their 

place, the word ‘‘an’’; and 

■ b. In paragraph (a)(2), remove the 

words ‘‘License or’’. 

§ 11.437 [Amended] 

■ 52. In § 11.437(a)(3): 

■ a. Remove the words ‘‘holding a 

License or’’ and add, in their place, the 

words ‘‘holding an’’; and 

■ b. Remove the words ‘‘this License’’ 

and add, in their place, the words ‘‘this 

MMC endorsement’’. 

§ 11.442 [Amended] 

■ 53. Amend § 11.442(a) by removing 

the words ‘‘a License or’’ wherever they 

appear and adding, in their place, the 

word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 11.444 [Amended] 

■ 54. Amend § 11.444(a)(2) by removing 

the words ‘‘a License or’’ and adding, in 

their place, the word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 11.446 [Amended] 

■ 55. Amend § 11.446 by removing the 

words ‘‘a License or’’ wherever they 

appear and adding, in their place, the 

word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 11.450 [Amended] 

■ 56. Amend § 11.450 as follows: 

■ a. In paragraph (c), remove the words 

‘‘Licenses or’’; and 

■ b. In paragraph (d), remove the word 

‘‘License’’ and add, in its place, the 

word ‘‘endorsement’’. 

§ 11.452 [Amended] 

■ 57. Amend § 11.452 as follows: 

■ a. In paragraph (a): 

■ i. Remove the words ‘‘or License ’’; 

and 

■ ii. Remove the words ‘‘a License or’’ 

and add, in their place, the word ‘‘an’’; 

and 

■ b. In paragraph (b), remove the words 

‘‘License or’’. 

§ 11.454 [Amended] 

■ 58. Amend § 11.454 as follows: 

■ a. In paragraph (c), remove the word 

‘‘presentation’’ and add, in its place, the 

words ‘‘providing evidence’’; and 

■ b. In paragraph (d), remove the words 

‘‘a License or’’ and add, in their place, 

the word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 11.457 [Amended] 

■ 59. Amend § 11.457 as follows: 

■ a. In paragraph (a), remove the word 

‘‘present’’ and add, in its place, the 

word ‘‘provide’’; and 

■ b. In paragraph (b), remove the words 

‘‘License or’’. 

§ 11.462 [Amended] 

■ 60. Amend § 11.462 by removing the 

words ‘‘a License or’’ wherever they 

appear and adding, in their place, the 

word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 11.464 [Amended] 

■ 61. Amend § 11.464 by removing the 

words ‘‘a License or’’ wherever they 

appear and adding, in their place, the 

word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 11.465 [Amended] 

■ 62. Amend § 11.465 by removing the 

words ‘‘a License or’’ wherever they 

appear and adding, in their place, the 

word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 11.466 [Amended] 

■ 63. Amend § 11.466(b) by removing 

the words ‘‘a License or’’ and adding, in 

their place, the word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 11.470 [Amended] 

■ 64. Amend § 11.470 as follows: 

■ a. Remove the word ‘‘Present’’ 

wherever it appears and add, in its 

place, the word ‘‘Provide’’; 

■ b. In paragraph (d)(2)(i), remove the 

words ‘‘a License or’’ and add, in their 

place, the word ‘‘an’’; 

■ c. In paragraphs (e), (g), and (i), 

remove the words ‘‘License or’’; and 

■ d. In paragraph (j)(2)(i), remove the 

words ‘‘a License or’’ and add, in their 

place, the word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 11.472 [Amended] 

■ 65. Amend § 11.472 as follows: 

■ a. Remove the word ‘‘Present’’ 

wherever it appears and add, in its 

place, the word ‘‘Provide’’; and 

■ b. In paragraph (b), remove the words 

‘‘license or’’. 

§ 11.474 [Amended] 

■ 66. Amend § 11.474 as follows: 

■ a. Remove the word ‘‘Present’’ 

wherever it appears and add, in its 

place, the word ‘‘Provide’’; 

■ b. In paragraph (a)(1)(i), remove the 

words ‘‘a License or’’ and add, in their 

place, the word ‘‘an’’; and 

■ c. In paragraph (b), remove the words 

‘‘License or’’. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with RULES3
102336 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

§ 11.480 [Amended] 

■ 67. In § 11.480(d), remove the word 

‘‘present’’ and add, in its place, the 

word ‘‘provide’’; and remove the text 

‘‘fax,’’. 

§ 11.482 [Amended] 

■ 68. Amend § 11.482 as follows: 

■ a. Remove the words ‘‘License or’’ 

wherever they appear; and 

■ b. In paragraph (c), remove the words 

‘‘a License or’’ and add, in their place, 

the word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 11.491 [Amended] 

■ 69. Amend § 11.491(a) by removing 

the words ‘‘License or’’. 

§ 11.501 [Amended] 

■ 70. Amend § 11.501 as follows: 

■ a. In paragraph (c), remove the words 

‘‘Licenses or’’; and 

■ b. In paragraphs (d) and (e), remove 

the words ‘‘License or’’ wherever they 

appear. 

§ 11.502 [Amended] 

■ 71. Amend § 11.502(b) by removing 

the words ‘‘a License or’’ and adding, in 

their place, the word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 11.503 [Amended] 

■ 72. Amend § 11.503 as follows: 

■ a. Remove the words ‘‘a License or’’ 

wherever they appear, and add, in their 

place, the word ‘‘an’’; and 

■ b. In paragraph (c)(2), remove the 

words ‘‘licensed or’’. 

§ 11.510 [Amended] 

■ 73. Amend § 11.510(a)(2) by removing 

the words ‘‘a License or’’ and adding, in 

their place, the word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 11.512 [Amended] 

■ 74. Amend § 11.512(a)(1) by removing 

the words ‘‘a License or’’ and adding, in 

their place, the word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 11.514 [Amended] 

■ 75. Amend § 11.514(a) by removing 

the words ‘‘a License or’’ wherever they 

appear and adding, in their place, the 

word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 11.542 [Amended] 

■ 76. Amend § 11.542 as follows: 

■ a. Remove the word ‘‘Present’’ 

wherever it appears, and add, in its 

place, the word ‘‘Provide’’; and 

■ b. In paragraph (b), remove the words 

‘‘presentation of’’ and add, in their 

place, the word ‘‘providing’’. 

§ 11.544 [Amended] 

■ 77. Amend § 11.544 as follows: 

■ a. Remove the word ‘‘Present’’ 

wherever it appears, and add, in its 

place, the word ‘‘Provide’’; and 

■ b. In paragraph (b), remove the words 

‘‘presentation of the’’ and add, in their 

place, the word ‘‘providing’’. 

§ 11.603 [Amended] 

■ 78. Amend § 11.603 by removing the 

words ‘‘License must present’’ and 

adding, in their place, the text ‘‘an MMC 

must provide evidence of’’. 

§ 11.604 [Amended] 

■ 79. Amend § 11.604 by removing the 

word ‘‘present’’ and adding, in its place, 

the word ‘‘provide’’. 

§ 11.701 [Amended] 

■ 80. Amend § 11.701(d) by removing 

the words ‘‘A License or’’ and adding, 

in their place, the word ‘‘An’’. 

§ 11.703 [Amended] 

■ 81. Amend § 11.703(d) by removing 

the words ‘‘a License or’’ and adding, in 

their place, the word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 11.705 [Amended] 

■ 82. Amend § 11.705(c) by removing 

the words ‘‘License or’’ wherever they 

appear. 

§ 11.707 [Amended] 

■ 83. Amend § 11.707(b) by removing 

the words ‘‘a License or’’ and adding, in 

their place, the word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 11.713 [Amended] 

■ 84. Amend § 11.713 by removing the 

words ‘‘License or’’ wherever they 

appear. 

§ 11.805 [Amended] 

■ 85. Amend § 11.805 as follows: 

■ a. In paragraph (a), remove the word 

‘‘present’’, and add, in its place, the 

word ‘‘provide’’; and 

■ b. In paragraph (b), remove the word 

‘‘is’’ and add, in their place, the word 

‘‘are’’. 

§ 11.807 [Amended] 

■ 86. Amend § 11.807(d) by removing 

the word ‘‘presents’’ and adding, in its 

place, the word ‘‘provides’’. 

§ 11.821 [Amended] 

■ 87. Amend § 11.821(b)(2) by removing 

the word ‘‘Present’’ and adding, in its 

place, the word ‘‘Provide’’. 

§ 11.903 [Amended] 

■ 88. Amend § 11.903(c)(1) by removing 

the words ‘‘a License’’ and adding, in 

their place, the words ‘‘an 

endorsement’’. 

§ 11.920 [Amended] 

■ 89. In § 11.920, amend the heading to 

Table 2 by removing the word 

‘‘Licenses’’ and add, in its place, the 

word ‘‘Endorsements’’. 

PART 12—REQUIREMENTS FOR 

RATING ENDORSEMENTS 

■ 90. The authority citation for part 12 

is revised to read as follows: 

Authority: 31 U.S.C. 9701; 46 U.S.C. 2101, 

2103, 2110, 7301, 7302, 7503, 7505, 7701, 

and 70105; DHS Delegation No. 00170.1, 

Revision No. 01.4. 

§ 12.201 [Amended] 

■ 91. Amend § 12.201(a)(2) by removing 

the words ‘‘his or her’’ and adding, in 

their place, the word ‘‘their’’. 

§ 12.401 [Amended] 

■ 92. Amend § 12.401(c)(3) by removing 

the word ‘‘Present’’ and adding, in its 

place, the word ‘‘Provide’’. 

§ 12.405 [Amended] 

■ 93. Amend § 12.405(a) by removing 

the words ‘‘he or she’’ and adding, in 

their place, the word ‘‘they’’. 

§ 12.407 [Amended] 

■ 94. Amend § 12.407(b)(1)(iii), by 

removing the word ‘‘Present’’ and 

adding, in its place, the word ‘‘Provide’’. 

§ 12.409 [Amended] 

■ 95. Amend § 12.409(b)(1)(iii), by 

removing the word ‘‘Present’’ and 

adding, in its place, the word ‘‘Provide’’. 

§ 12.501 [Amended] 

■ 96. Amend § 12.501(c)(3), by 

removing the word ‘‘Present’’ and 

adding, in its place, the word ‘‘Provide’’. 

§ 12.625 [Amended] 

■ 97. Amend § 12.625(a)(1) by removing 

the word ‘‘Present’’ and adding, in its 

place, the word ‘‘Provide’’. 

§ 12.627 [Amended] 

■ 98. Amend § 12.627(a)(1) by removing 

the word ‘‘Present’’ and adding, in its 

place, the word ‘‘Provide’’. 

§ 12.707 [Amended] 

■ 99. Amend § 12.707 by removing the 

word ‘‘present’’ and adding, in its place, 

the word ‘‘provides’’. 

§ 12.709 [Amended] 

■ 100. Amend § 12.709(a) by removing 

the word ‘‘present’’ and adding, in its 

place, the word ‘‘provides’’. 

§ 12.711 [Amended] 

■ 101. Amend § 12.711(a) by removing 

the word ‘‘presents’’ and adding, in its 

place, the word ‘‘provides’’. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 102337 

§ 12.809 [Amended] 

■ 102. Amend § 12.809(b) by removing 

the word ‘‘present’’ and adding, in its 

place, the word ‘‘provide’’. 

PART 13—CERTIFICATION OF 

TANKERMEN 

■ 103. The authority citation for part 13 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 46 U.S.C. 3703, 7317, 8105, 

8703, 9102; DHS Delegation No. 00170.1, 

Revision No. 01.4. 

§ 13.107 [Amended] 

■ 104. Amend § 13.107 as follows: 

■ a. In paragraph (a), remove the words 

‘‘engineer License or engineer’’ and add, 

in their place, the words ‘‘engineer 

officer’’; and 

■ b. In paragraph (d), remove the words 

‘‘licensed or’’. 

§ 13.111 [Amended] 

■ 105. Amend § 13.111 as follows: 

■ a. In paragraph (d)(3), remove the 

word ‘‘Present’’ and add, in its place, 

the word ‘‘Provide’’; and 

■ b. In paragraph (d)(4): 

■ i. Remove the words ‘‘Present 

evidence in the form of a letter’’ and 

add, in their place, the words ‘‘Provide 

evidence in a method prescribed by the 

Coast Guard’’; and 

■ ii. Remove the words ‘‘on company 

letterhead’’. 

§ 13.120 [Amended] 

■ 106. Amend § 13.120 by removing the 

word ‘‘present’’ wherever it appears and 

adding, in its place, the word ‘‘provide’’. 

§ 13.201 [Amended] 

■ 107. Amend § 13.201(c) introductory 

text, by removing the word ‘‘Present’’ 

and adding, in its place, the word 

‘‘Provide’’.; 

§ 13.203 [Amended] 

■ 108. Amend § 13.203 by removing the 

word ‘‘present’’ wherever it appears, 

and adding, in its place, the word 

‘‘provide’’. 

§ 13.205 [Amended] 

■ 109. Amend § 13.205 as follows: 

■ a. Remove the words ‘‘Proof of service 

must be provided in a letter on company 

letterhead’’ and add, in their place, the 

words ‘‘Provide evidence in a method 

prescribed by the Coast Guard of proof 

of service’’; and 

■ b. Remove the words ‘‘The letter’’ and 

add, in their place, the words ‘‘The 

evidence’’. 

§ 13.301 [Amended] 

■ 110. Amend § 13.301(c) by removing 

the word ‘‘Present’’ and adding, in its 

place, the word ‘‘Provide’’. 

§ 13.303 [Amended] 

■ 111. Amend § 13.303(a) by removing 

the word ‘‘present’’ and adding, in its 

place, the word ‘‘provide’’. 

§ 13.305 [Amended] 

■ 112. Amend § 13.305 as follows: 

■ a. Remove the words ‘‘Proof of service 

must be provided in a letter on company 

letterhead’’ and add, in their place, the 

words ‘‘Provide evidence in a method 

prescribed by the Coast Guard of proof 

of service’’; and 

■ b. Remove the words ‘‘The letter’’ and 

add, in their place, the words ‘‘The 

evidence’’. 

§ 13.401 [Amended] 

■ 113. Amend § 13.401 by removing the 

word ‘‘Present’’ wherever it appears, 

and adding, in its place, the word 

‘‘Provide’’. 

§ 13.405 [Amended] 

■ 114. Amend § 13.405(a) as follows: 

■ a. Remove the words ‘‘A letter on 

company letterhead’’ and add, in their 

place, the words ‘‘Evidence in a method 

prescribed by the Coast Guard’’; and 

■ b. Remove the words ‘‘The letter’’ and 

add, in their place, the words ‘‘The 

evidence’’. 

§ 13.501 [Amended] 

■ 115. Amend § 13.501(c) by removing 

the word ‘‘Present’’ and adding, in its 

place, the word ‘‘Provide’’. 

§ 13.503 [Amended] 

■ 116. Amend § 13.503(a) by removing 

the word ‘‘present’’ and adding, in its 

place, the word ‘‘provide’’. 

§ 13.505 [Amended] 

■ 117. Amend § 13.505(a) as follows: 

■ a. Remove the words ‘‘Service must be 

proved by a letter on company 

letterhead’’ and add, in their place, the 

words ‘‘Provide evidence in a method 

prescribed by the Coast Guard of proof 

of service’’; and 

■ b. Remove the words ‘‘The letter’’ and 

add, in their place, the words ‘‘The 

evidence’’. 

PART 14—SHIPMENT AND 

DISCHARGE OF MERCHANT 

MARINERS 

■ 118. The authority citation for part 14 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552; 46 U.S.C. 

Chapters 103 and 104; 46 U.S.C. 70105. 

■ 119. In part 14, revise all references to 

‘‘his or her’’ to read ‘‘their’’. 

§ 14.103 [Amended] 

■ 120. In § 14.103(c), remove the text 

‘‘http://www.uscg.mil/nmc’’ and add, in 

its place, the text ‘‘https://

www.dco.uscg.mil/national_maritime_

center/’’. 

§ 14.205 [Amended] 

■ 121. Amend § 14.205 as follows: 

■ a. Remove the word ‘‘present’’ and 

add, in its place, the word ‘‘provide’’; 

and 

■ b. Remove the words ‘‘every 

document, certificate, credential, or 

license’’ and add, in their place, the 

words ‘‘a merchant mariner credential 

with endorsements’’. 

§ 14.207 [Amended] 

■ 122. In § 14.207(a)(1), remove the text 

‘‘license, MMD or’’. 

■ 123. Revise § 14.307 to read as 

follows: 

§ 14.307 Entries on certificate of 

discharge. 

(a) Each master or individual in 

charge of a vessel must, for each 

merchant mariner being discharged 

from the vessel, prepare a certificate of 

discharge in accordance with the 

procedure prescribed by the Coast 

Guard. The prescribed format may 

include the current form CG–718A or 

other means provided by the Coast 

Guard. If not using the Coast Guard 

prescribed format, the mariner must be 

provided with all the same information 

included on the certificate of discharge. 

(b) Each mariner being discharged 

must validate the information on the 

certificate of discharge by signing it. 

(c) When the mariner leaves the 

vessel, the master or individual in 

charge must give the certificate of 

discharge to the mariner. 

§ 14.403 [Amended] 

■ 124. Amend § 14.403(a)(2) by 

removing the word ‘‘presented’’ and 

adding, in its place, the word 

‘‘provided’’. 

§ 14.405 [Amended] 

■ 125. Amend § 14.405 as follows: 

■ a. In paragraph (c), before the words 

‘‘will forward the request’’, add the text 

‘‘OCMI’’; and 

■ b. In paragraph (d), remove the words 

‘‘the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard 

will’’ and add, in their place, the text 

‘‘the Coast Guard OCMI in whose zone 

the vessel is located. The Coast Guard 

OCMI will’’. 

§ 14.407 [Amended] 

■ 126. In § 14.407(a), remove the words 

‘‘to the address provided’’ and add, in 

their place, the words ‘‘in a manner 

specified’’. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with RULES3
102338 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

PART 15—MANNING REQUIREMENTS 

■ 127. The authority citation for part 15 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 46 U.S.C. 2101, 2103, 3306, 

3703, 8101, 8102, 8103, 8104, 8105, 8301, 

8304, 8502, 8503, 8701, 8702, 8901, 8902, 

8903, 8904, 8905(b), 8906 and 9102; sec. 617, 

Pub. L. 111–281, 124 Stat. 2905; and DHS 

Delegation No. 00170.1, Revision No. 01.4. 

§ 15.105 [Amended] 

■ 128. Amend § 15.105 as follows: 

■ a. In paragraph (b), remove the words 

‘‘Licenses and’’; and 

■ b. In paragraph (h), remove the words 

‘‘License or’’. 

§ 15.410 [Amended] 

■ 129. Amend § 15.410 by removing the 

words ‘‘a License or’’ and adding, in 

their place, the word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 15.515 [Amended] 

■ 130. In § 15.515, remove the words 

‘‘License or’’. 

§ 15.520 [Amended] 

■ 131. Amend § 15.520 as follows: 

■ a. Remove the words ‘‘a License or’’ 

wherever they appear, and add, in their 

place, the word ‘‘an’’; 

■ b. In paragraph (c), remove the words 

‘‘A License or’’ wherever it appears, and 

add, in their place, the word ‘‘An’’; 

■ c. In paragraph (d), remove the text ‘‘a 

License as Master endorsed as OIM, or’’; 

■ d. In paragraph (e), remove the text ‘‘a 

License as Master endorsed as OIM or’’; 

and 

■ e. In paragraph (g), remove the words 

‘‘License, or an’’. 

§ 15.605 [Amended] 

■ 132. Amend § 15.605 by removing the 

words ‘‘a License or’’ wherever they 

appear and adding, in their place, the 

word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 15.610 [Amended] 

■ 133. Amend § 15.610(b) as follows: 

■ a. Remove the words ‘‘a License or’’ 

and add, in their place, the word ‘‘an’’; 

and 

■ b. Before the text ‘‘MMC for towing 

vessels’’, remove the words ‘‘License 

or’’. 

§ 15.701 [Amended] 

■ 134. Amend § 15.701(b) by removing 

the words ‘‘a License or’’ and adding, in 

their place, the word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 15.730 [Amended] 

■ 135. In § 15.730(d), remove the word 

‘‘presented’’ and add, in its place, the 

word ‘‘provided’’. 

§ 15.805 [Amended] 

■ 136. Amend § 15.805 as follows: 

■ a. Remove the words ‘‘a License or’’ 

wherever they appear, and add, in their 

place, the word ‘‘an’’; 

■ b. In paragraph (a), remove the words 

‘‘License as or a’’; and 

■ c. In paragraph (b), remove the word 

‘‘is’’ and add, in their place, the word 

‘‘are’’. 

§ 15.810 [Amended] 

■ 137. Amend § 15.810 as follows: 

■ a. Remove the words ‘‘a License or’’ 

wherever they appear and add, in their 

place, the word ‘‘an’’; 

■ b. In paragraphs (c) and (d)(2), remove 

the words ‘‘License or’’; and 

■ c. In paragraph (d)(2)(ii), remove the 

words ‘‘A License or’’ and add, in their 

place, the word ‘‘An’’.138. Amend 

§ 15.812 as follows: 

■ a. Revise paragraphs (b) and (c), table 

1 to § 15.812(e)(1), and table 2 to 

§ 15.812(e)(2); 

■ b. In paragraph (f), remove the words 

‘‘valid License or’’ wherever they appear 

and add, in their place, the word ‘‘or’’; 

and 

■ c. In paragraph (f)(1)(i), remove the 

words ‘‘a License or’’ and add, in their 

place, the word ‘‘an’’. 

The revisions read as follows: 

§ 15.812 Pilots. 

* * * * * 

(b) The following individuals may 

serve as a Pilot on a vessel subject to 

paragraph (a) of this section, when 

underway on the navigable waters of the 

United States that are designated areas: 

(1) An individual holding a valid 

MMC officer endorsement as First-Class 

Pilot, operating within the restrictions 

of their credential, may serve as Pilot on 

any vessel to which this section applies. 

(2) An individual holding a valid 

MMC officer endorsement as Master or 

Mate, employed aboard a vessel within 

the restrictions of their credential, may 

serve as Pilot on a vessel of not more 

than 1,600 GRT propelled by 

machinery, described in paragraphs 

(a)(1) and (3) of this section, provided 

they— 

(i) Are at least 21 years old; 

(ii) Are able to show current 

knowledge of the waters to be navigated, 

as required in § 11.713 of this 

subchapter; and 

(iii) Provide evidence of completing a 

minimum of four roundtrips over the 

route to be traversed while in the 

wheelhouse as watchstander or 

observer. At least one of the roundtrips 

must be made during the hours of 

darkness if the route is to be traversed 

during darkness. 

(3) An individual holding a valid 

MMC officer endorsement as Master, 

Mate, or operator employed aboard a 

vessel within the restrictions of their 

credential, may serve as Pilot on a tank 

barge or tank barges totaling not more 

than 10,000 GRT/GT, described in 

paragraphs (a)(1) and (3) of this section, 

provided they - 

(i) Are at least 21 years old; 

(ii) Are able to show current 

knowledge of the waters to be navigated, 

as required in § 11.713 of this 

subchapter; 

(iii) Have a current physical 

examination in accordance with the 

provisions of § 11.709 of this 

subchapter; 

(iv) Have at least 6 months of service 

in the deck department on towing 

vessels engaged in towing operations; 

and 

(v) Provide evidence of completing a 

minimum of 12 roundtrips over the 

route to be traversed, as an observer or 

under instruction in the wheelhouse. At 

least three of the roundtrips must be 

made during the hours of darkness if the 

route is to be traversed during darkness. 

(c) An individual holding a valid 

MMC officer endorsement as Master, 

Mate, or operator, employed aboard a 

vessel within the restrictions of their 

credential, may serve as a Pilot for a 

vessel subject to paragraphs (a)(1) and 

(2) of this section, when underway on 

the navigable waters of the United 

States that are not designated areas of 

pilotage waters, provided they— 

(1) Are at least 21 years old; 

(2) Are able to show current 

knowledge of the waters to be navigated, 

as required in § 11.713 of this 

subchapter; and 

(3) Have a current physical 

examination in accordance with the 

provisions of § 11.709 of this 

subchapter. 

* * * * * 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with RULES3
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 102339 

TABLE 1 TO § 15.812(e)(1)—QUICK REFERENCE TABLE FOR FEDERAL PILOTAGE REQUIREMENTS FOR U.S.-INSPECTED, 

SELF-PROPELLED VESSELS, NOT SAILING ON REGISTER

Designated areas of pilotage waters 

(routes for which First-Class Pilot’s MMC 

officer endorsements are issued) 

Non-designated areas of pilotage waters 

(between the 3-mile line and the start 

of traditional pilotage routes) 

Inspected self-propelled vessels greater than 

1,600 GRT, authorized by their COI to proceed beyond the Boundary Line, or operating 

on the Great Lakes.

First-Class Pilot ................................................ Master or Mate may serve as Pilot if they— 

1. Are at least 21 years old; 

2. Have an annual physical exam; and 

3. Maintain current knowledge of the waters to 

be navigated.1

Inspected self-propelled vessels not more than 

1,600 GRT, authorized by their COI to proceed beyond the Boundary Line, or operating 

on the Great Lakes.

First-Class Pilot, or Master or Mate may serve 

as Pilot if they— 

1. Are at least 21 years old; 

2. Maintains current knowledge of the waters 

to be navigated; and 1

3. Have four roundtrips over the route.2

Master or Mate may serve as Pilot if they— 

1. Are at least 21 years old; and 

2. Maintain current knowledge of the waters to 

be navigated.1

Inspected self-propelled vessels greater than 

1,600 GRT, not authorized by their COI to 

proceed beyond the Boundary Line (inland 

route vessels); other than vessels operating 

on the Great Lakes.

First-Class Pilot ................................................ Master or Mate may serve as Pilot if they— 

1. Are at least 21 years old; 

2. Have an annual physical exam; and 

3. Maintain current knowledge of the waters to 

be navigated.1

Inspected self-propelled vessels not more than 

1,600 GRT, not authorized by their COI to 

proceed beyond the Boundary Line (inland 

route vessels); other than vessels operating 

on the Great Lakes.

No pilotage requirement ................................... No pilotage requirement. 

1One roundtrip within the past 60 months. 

2 If the route is to be traversed during darkness, one of the four roundtrips must be made during darkness. 

* * * * * 

TABLE 2 TO § 15.812(e)(2)—QUICK REFERENCE TABLE FOR FEDERAL PILOTAGE REQUIREMENTS FOR U.S.-INSPECTED

TANK BARGES, NOT SAILING ON REGISTER

Designated areas of pilotage waters 

(routes for which First-Class Pilot’s MMC 

officer endorsements are issued) 

Non-designated areas of pilotage waters 

(between the 3-mile line and the start 

of traditional pilotage routes) 

Tank Barges greater than 10,000 GRT/GT, authorized by their COI to proceed beyond the 

Boundary Line, or operating on the Great 

Lakes.

First-Class Pilot ................................................ Master, Mate, or Master, Mate (Pilot) of towing vessels may serve as Pilot if they: 

1. Are at least 21 years old; 

2. Have an annual physical exam; 2

3. Maintain current knowledge of the waters to 

be navigated; 1 and 

4. Have at least 6 months’ service in the deck 

department on towing vessels engaged in 

towing operations. 

Tank Barges 10,000 GRT/GT or less, authorized by their COI to proceed beyond the 

Boundary Line, or operating on the Great 

Lakes.

First-Class Pilot, or Master, Mate, or Master, 

Mate (Pilot) of towing vessels may serve as 

Pilot if they: 

1. Are at least 21 years old; 

2. Have an annual physical exam; 2

3. Maintain current knowledge of the waters to 

be navigated; 1

4. Have at least 6 months’ service in the deck 

department on towing vessels engaged in 

towing operations; and 

5. Have 12 roundtrips over the route.3

Tank Barges authorized by their COI for inland 

routes only (lakes, bays, and sounds/rivers); 

other than vessels operating on the Great 

Lakes.

No pilotage requirement ................................... No pilotage requirement. 

1One roundtrip within the past 60 months. 

2Annual physical exam does not apply to an individual who will serve as a Pilot of a tank barge of less than 1,600 GRT. 

3 If the route is to be traversed during darkness, three of the 12 roundtrips must be made during darkness. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with RULES3
102340 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

* * * * * 

§ 15.815 [Amended] 

■ 139. Amend § 15.815(c) by removing 

the words ‘‘a License or’’ and adding, in 

their place, the word ‘‘an’’. 

§ 15.820 [Amended] 

■ 140. Amend § 15.820 as follows: 

■ a. In paragraph (a), remove the words 

‘‘or license’’; 

■ b. In paragraph (a)(3), remove the 

words ‘‘a License or’’; and 

■ c. In paragraph (c), remove the words 

‘‘License or’’. 

§ 15.825 [Amended] 

■ 141. Amend § 15.825(a) by removing 

the words ‘‘License or’’. 

§ 15.901 [Amended] 

■ 142. Amend § 15.901 as follows: 

■ a. Remove the words ‘‘a License or’’ 

wherever they appear and add, in their 

place, the word ‘‘an’’; and 

■ b. Remove the words ‘‘individual’s 

License or’’ wherever they appear and 

add, in their place, the word 

‘‘individual’s’’. 

§ 15.905 [Amended] 

■ 143. Amend § 15.905 as follows: 

■ a. Remove the words ‘‘a License or’’ 

wherever they appear and add, in their 

place, the word ‘‘an’’; and 

■ b. Remove the words ‘‘individual’s 

License or’’ wherever they appear, and 

add, in their place, the word 

‘‘individual’s’’. 

§ 15.915 [Amended] 

■ 144. Amend § 15.915 as follows: 

■ a. Remove the words ‘‘Licenses and’’ 

wherever they appear; and 

■ b. Remove the words ‘‘License or’’ 

wherever they appear. 

§ 15.1001 [Amended] 

■ 145. In § 15.1001, remove the words 

‘‘or License with’’ and add, in their 

place, the words ‘‘with an’’. 

PART 16—CHEMICAL TESTING 

■ 146. The authority citation for part 16 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 46 U.S.C. 2103, 3306, 7101, 

7301, and 7701; DHS Delegation No. 00170.1, 

Revision No. 01.4. 

■ 147. Amend § 16.105 by revising the 

definition of Credential to read as 

follows: 

§ 16.105 Definitions of terms used in this 

part. 

* * * * * 

Credential is the same as defined in 

46 CFR 10.107. 

* * * * * 

■ 148. Amend § 16.220 as follows: 

■ a. In paragraph (a)(1), remove the text 

‘‘a License, Certificate of Registry (COR), 

MMD, or’’ and add, in its place, the 

word ‘‘an’’; 

■ b. In paragraph (a)(3), remove the text 

‘‘a License or COR’’ and add, in its 

place, the text ‘‘an MMC’’; and 

■ c. In paragraph (a)(5), revise the 

second sentence. 

§ 16.220 Periodic testing requirements. 

(a) * * * 

(5) * * * Results of the test must be 

provided to the Coast Guard in a 

manner prescribed by the Coast 

Guard.* * * 

* * * * * 

§ 16.230 [Amended] 

■ 149. Amend § 16.230(b)(1) by 

removing the word ‘‘License’’ and 

adding, in its place, the word 

‘‘credential’’. 

§ 16.500 [Amended] 

■ 150. Amend § 16.500 by removing the 

period after the text ‘‘2703 Martin 

Luther King Jr. Avenue SE’’. 

Dated: November 6, 2024. 

W.R. Arguin, 

Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Assistant 

Commandant for Prevention Policy. 

[FR Doc. 2024–27026 Filed 12–16–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9110–04–P 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with RULES3