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‘‘(b) EVIDENCE
OF COMPLIANCE.—The Secretary 
may accept, as evidence of compliance with this section, 
a certification of compliance issued by the person pro-
viding insurance for the vessel or by another qualified per-
son approved by the Secretary. 
‘‘§ 4506. Training 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The individual in charge of a 
subject vessel must pass a training program approved by 
the Secretary that meets the requirements of subsection 
(b) and hold a valid certificate issued under that program. 
‘‘(b) TRAINING
PROGRAM
REQUIREMENTS.—The 
training program shall— 
‘‘(1) be based on professional knowledge and 
skill obtained through sea service and hands-on 
training, including training in seamanship, stability, 
collision prevention, navigation, firefighting and pre-
vention, damage control, personal survival, emer-
gency medical care, emergency drills, and weather; 
‘‘(2) require an individual to demonstrate abil-
ity to communicate in an emergency situation and 
understand information found in navigation publica-
tions; 
‘‘(3) recognize and give credit for recent past 
experience in fishing vessel operation; and 
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‘‘(4) provide for issuance of a certificate to an 
individual who has successfully completed the pro-
gram. 
‘‘(c) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall prescribe 
regulations implementing this section. The regulations 
shall require that an individual who is issued a certificate 
under subsection (b)(4) must complete refresher training 
at least once every 5 years as a condition of maintaining 
the validity of the certificate. 
‘‘(d) ELECTRONIC DATABASE.—The Secretary shall 
establish an electronic database listing the names of indi-
viduals who have participated in and received a certificate 
confirming successful completion of a training program 
approved by the Secretary under this section. 
‘‘§ 4507. Vessel certification 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—A vessel to which this section ap-
plies may not be operated unless the vessel— 
‘‘(1) meets all survey and classification require-
ments prescribed by the American Bureau of Ship-
ping or another similarly qualified organization ap-
proved by the Secretary; and 
‘‘(2) has on board a certificate issued by the 
American Bureau of Shipping or such other organi-
zation evidencing compliance with this subsection. 
‘‘(b) APPLICATION.— 
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‘‘(1) Except as provided in section 4509, this 
section applies to a fish processing vessel to which 
this chapter applies that— 
‘‘(A) is built after July 27, 1990; or 
‘‘(B) undergoes a major conversion com-
pleted after that date. 
‘‘(2)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph 
(B), this section applies to a subject vessel that is 
at least 50 feet overall in length and is built after 
July 1, 2013. 
‘‘(B) This section does not apply to a sub-
stitute-eligible vessel if such vessel complies with— 
‘‘(i) the substitute safety compliance pro-
gram established under section 4509; or 
‘‘(ii) the enhanced substitute safety compli-
ance program established by the Secretary 
under section 4510. 
‘‘§ 4508. Alternate safety compliance program 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.— 
‘‘(1) The Secretary shall establish an alternate 
safety compliance program developed in coordination 
with the commercial fishing industry. 
‘‘(2) The program established under paragraph 
(1) may include requirements for— 
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‘‘(A) a specific region or fishery (or both); 
and 
‘‘(B) any combination of regions or fish-
eries (or both). 
‘‘(b) VESSELS REQUIRED TO COMPLY.—Beginning 
on the date that is 3 years after the date the Secretary 
prescribes an alternate safety compliance program, the fol-
lowing vessels shall comply with such program: 
‘‘(1) A subject vessel that is— 
‘‘(A) at least 50 feet overall in length; 
‘‘(B) built before July 1, 2013; and 
‘‘(C) 25 years of age or older. 
‘‘(2) A fishing vessel, fish processing vessel, or 
fish tender vessel built before July 1, 2013, that un-
dergoes a major conversion completed after the date 
the Secretary prescribes an alternate safety compli-
ance program. 
‘‘(c) EXEMPT VESSELS.— 
‘‘(1) Notwithstanding subsection (b), vessels 
owned by a person that owns more than 30 vessels 
subject to that subsection are not required to comply 
with alternate safety compliance program require-
ments until January 1, 2030, if that owner— 
‘‘(A) enters into a compliance agreement 
with the Secretary that provides for a fixed 
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schedule for all such vessels owned by that per-
son to meet requirements of such paragraph by 
such date; and 
‘‘(B) is meeting such schedule. 
‘‘(2) A subject vessel that was classed before 
July 1, 2012, is exempt from the requirements of 
this section if such vessel— 
‘‘(A) remains subject to the requirements 
of a classification society approved by the Sec-
retary; and 
‘‘(B) has on board a certificate from that 
society. 
‘‘§ 4509. Substitute safety compliance program 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a 
substitute safety compliance program for substitute-eligi-
ble vessels that includes the following requirements: 
‘‘(1) A substitute-eligible vessel shall be de-
signed by an individual licensed by a State as a 
naval architect or marine engineer, and the design 
shall incorporate standards equivalent to those pre-
scribed by a classification society to which the Sec-
retary has delegated authority under section 3316 or 
another qualified organization approved by the Sec-
retary for purposes of this paragraph. 
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‘‘(2) Construction of a substitute-eligible vessel 
shall be overseen and certified as being in accord-
ance with its design by a marine surveyor of an or-
ganization accepted by the Secretary. 
‘‘(3) A substitute-eligible vessel shall— 
‘‘(A) complete a stability test performed by 
a qualified individual; 
‘‘(B) have written stability and loading in-
structions from a qualified individual that are 
provided to the owner or operator; and 
‘‘(C) have an assigned loading mark. 
‘‘(4) A substitute-eligible vessel shall not be 
substantially altered without the review and approval 
of an individual licensed by a State as a naval archi-
tect or marine engineer before the beginning of such 
substantial alteration. 
‘‘(5) A substitute-eligible vessel shall undergo a 
condition survey at least twice in 5 years, with not 
more than 3 years between surveys, to the satisfac-
tion of a marine surveyor of an organization accept-
ed by the Secretary. 
‘‘(6) A substitute-eligible vessel shall undergo 
an out-of-water survey at least once every 5 years to 
the satisfaction of a certified marine surveyor of an 
organization accepted by the Secretary. 
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