HR 4188 RDS
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Chapter 71 of title 46, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘§ 7116. Examinations for merchant mariner creden-
tials 
‘‘(a) REQUIREMENT FOR SAMPLE EXAMS.—The Sec-
retary shall develop a sample merchant mariner credential 
examination and outline of merchant mariner examination 
topics on an annual basis. 
‘‘(b) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—Each sample examina-
tion and outline of topics developed under subsection (a) 
shall be readily available to the public. 
‘‘(c) MERCHANT MARINER CREDENTIAL DEFINED.— 
In this section, the term ‘merchant mariner credential’ has 
the meaning that term has in section 7510.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for 
such chapter is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘7116. Examinations for merchant mariner credentials.’’. 
(c) DISCLOSURE TO CONGRESS.—Nothing in this sec-
tion may be construed to authorize the withholding of in-
formation from an appropriate inspector general, the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
the Senate, or the Committee on Transportation and In-
frastructure of the House of Representatives. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:58 Dec 19, 2015
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00090
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4188.RDS
H4188
SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
HR 4188 RDS
SEC. 316. HIGHER VOLUME PORT AREA REGULATORY DEFI-
NITION CHANGE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (a) of section 710 of 
the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 (Public Law 
111–281; 124 Stat. 2986) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(a) HIGHER
VOLUME
PORTS.—Notwithstanding 
any other provision of law, the requirements of subparts 
D, F, and G of part 155 of title 33, Code of Federal Regu-
lations, that apply to the higher volume port area for the 
Strait of Juan de Fuca at Port Angeles, Washington (in-
cluding any water area within 50 nautical miles seaward), 
to and including Puget Sound, shall apply, in the same 
manner, and to the same extent, to the Strait of Juan 
de Fuca at Cape Flattery, Washington (including any 
water area within 50 nautical miles seaward), to and in-
cluding Puget Sound.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Subsection (b) of 
such section is amended by striking ‘‘the modification of 
the higher volume port area definition required by sub-
section (a).’’ and inserting ‘‘higher volume port require-
ments made applicable under subsection (a).’’. 
SEC. 317. RECOGNITION OF PORT SECURITY ASSESSMENTS 
CONDUCTED BY OTHER ENTITIES. 
Section 70108 of title 46, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:58 Dec 19, 2015
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00091
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4188.RDS
H4188
SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
HR 4188 RDS
‘‘(f) RECOGNITION OF ASSESSMENT CONDUCTED BY 
OTHER ENTITIES.— 
‘‘(1) CERTIFICATION AND TREATMENT OF AS-
SESSMENTS.—For the purposes of this section and 
section 70109, the Secretary may treat an assess-
ment that a foreign government (including, for the 
purposes of this subsection, an entity of or operating 
under the auspices of the European Union) or inter-
national organization has conducted as an assess-
ment that the Secretary has conducted for the pur-
poses of subsection (a), provided that the Secretary 
certifies that the foreign government or international 
organization has— 
‘‘(A) conducted the assessment in accord-
ance with subsection (b); and 
‘‘(B) provided the Secretary with sufficient 
information pertaining to its assessment (in-
cluding, but not limited to, information on the 
outcome of the assessment). 
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZATION
TO
ENTER
INTO
AN 
AGREEMENT.—For the purposes of this section and 
section 70109, the Secretary, in consultation with 
the Secretary of State, may enter into an agreement 
with a foreign government (including, for the pur-
poses of this subsection, an entity of or operating 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:58 Dec 19, 2015
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00092
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4188.RDS
H4188
SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
HR 4188 RDS
under the auspices of the European Union) or inter-
national organization, under which parties to the 
agreement— 
‘‘(A) conduct an assessment, required 
under subsection (a); 
‘‘(B) share information pertaining to such 
assessment (including, but not limited to, infor-
mation on the outcome of the assessment); or 
‘‘(C) both. 
‘‘(3) LIMITATIONS.—Nothing in this subsection 
shall be construed to— 
‘‘(A) require the Secretary to recognize an 
assessment that a foreign government or an 
international organization has conducted; or 
‘‘(B) limit the discretion or ability of the 
Secretary to conduct an assessment under this 
section. 
‘‘(4) NOTIFICATION TO CONGRESS.—Not later 
than 30 days before entering into an agreement or 
arrangement with a foreign government under para-
graph (2), the Secretary shall notify the Committee 
on Homeland Security and the Committee on Trans-
portation and Infrastructure of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:58 Dec 19, 2015
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00093
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4188.RDS
H4188
SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
HR 4188 RDS
Science, and Transportation of the Senate of the 
proposed terms of such agreement or arrangement.’’. 
SEC. 318. FISHING VESSEL AND FISH TENDER VESSEL CER-
TIFICATION. 
(a) ALTERNATIVE
SAFETY
COMPLIANCE
PRO-
GRAMS.—Section 4503 of title 46, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘this section’’ 
and inserting ‘‘this subsection’’; 
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘This section’’ 
and inserting ‘‘Except as provided in subsection (d), 
subsection (a)’’; 
(3) in subsection (c)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘This section’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), 
subsection (a)’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) Subsection (a) does not apply to a fishing vessel 
or fish tender vessel to which section 4502(b) of this title 
applies, if the vessel— 
‘‘(A) is at least 50 feet overall in length, and 
not more than 79 feet overall in length; and 
‘‘(B)(i) is built after January 1, 2016, and 
complies with the alternative safety compliance pro-
gram established under subsection (e); or 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:58 Dec 19, 2015
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00094
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4188.RDS
H4188
SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
HR 4188 RDS
‘‘(ii) is built after the date of the enactment of 
the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015 and be-
fore the establishment of the alternative safety com-
pliance program required under subsection (e), and 
complies with the requirements described in sub-
section (f).’’; and 
(4) by redesignating subsection (e) as sub-
section (g), and inserting after subsection (d) the 
following: 
‘‘(e)(1) Not later than 5 years after the date of the 
enactment of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015, 
the Secretary shall establish an alternative safety compli-
ance program for fishing vessels or fish tender vessels (or 
both) that are described in subparagraphs (A) and (B)(i) 
of subsection (c)(2). 
‘‘(2) The alternative safety compliance program es-
tablished under paragraph (1) shall include requirements 
for— 
‘‘(A) vessel construction; 
‘‘(B) a vessel stability test; 
‘‘(C) vessel stability and loading instructions; 
‘‘(D) an assigned vessel loading mark; 
‘‘(E) a vessel condition survey at least bienni-
ally; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:58 Dec 19, 2015
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00095
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4188.RDS
H4188
SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS