H. R. 7776—1744 
(1) that carries in excess of 250 passengers; 
(2) that is, or was, in operation exclusively within the 
inland rivers and internal waters of the United States on 
voyages inside the Boundary Line, as defined in section 103 
of such title, on or before July 27, 2030; and 
(3) the operators or charterers of which operated any docu-
mented vessels with a coastwise endorsement prior to January 
1, 2024. 
Subtitle B—Merchant Mariner 
Credentialing 
SEC. 11511. MODERNIZING MERCHANT MARINER CREDENTIALING 
SYSTEM. 
(a) REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Commandant shall submit to 
the Committees on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and 
Appropriations of the Senate, and the Committees on Transpor-
tation and Infrastructure and Appropriations of the House of 
Representatives, a report on the financial, human, and informa-
tion technology infrastructure resources needed to establish 
an electronic merchant mariner licensing and documentation 
system. 
(2) LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY SUGGESTIONS.—In pre-
paring the report described in paragraph (1), the Com-
mandant— 
(A) shall include recommendations for any legislative 
or administrative actions as the Commandant determines 
necessary to establish the electronic merchant mariner 
licensing and documentation system described in paragraph 
(1) as soon as possible; and 
(B) may include findings, conclusions, or recommenda-
tions from the study conducted under subsection (b). 
(b) STUDY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In preparing the report required under 
subsection (a), the Commandant and the Administrator of the 
Maritime Administration, in coordination with the Commander 
of the United States Transportation Command, shall conduct 
a study on the feasibility of developing and maintaining a 
database as part of an electronic merchant mariner licensing 
and documentation system that— 
(A) contains records with respect to each credentialed 
mariner, including credential validity, drug and alcohol 
testing results, and information on any final adjudicated 
agency action involving a credentialed mariner or regarding 
any involvement in a marine casualty; and 
(B) maintains such records in a manner that allows 
data to be readily accessed by the Federal Government 
for the purpose of assessing workforce needs and for the 
purpose of the economic and national security of the United 
States. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The study required under paragraph (1) 
shall— 
(A) include an assessment of the resources, including 
information technology, and authorities necessary to
H. R. 7776—1745 
develop and maintain the database described in such para-
graph; 
(B) specifically address ways to protect the privacy 
interests of any individual whose information may be con-
tained within such database, which shall include limiting 
access to the database or having access to the database 
be monitored by, or accessed through, a member of the 
Coast Guard; and 
(C) address the feasibility of incorporating in such 
database a reporting mechanism to alert the Administrator 
of the Maritime Administration each time a mariner’s 
credential is reinstated upon completion of a period of 
suspension as the result of a suspension and revocation 
proceeding under section 7702 of title 46, United States 
Code, with details about the violation that led to such 
suspension. 
(c) ELECTRONIC MERCHANT MARINER LICENSING
AND DOCU-
MENTATION SYSTEM.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary shall implement an electronic merchant mariner 
licensing and documentation system. 
SEC. 11512. ASSESSMENT REGARDING APPLICATION PROCESS FOR 
MERCHANT MARINER CREDENTIALS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall conduct an assessment 
to determine the resources, including personnel and computing 
resources, required to reduce the amount of time necessary to 
process an application for a merchant mariner credential to not 
more than 2 weeks after the date of receipt of such application. 
(b) BRIEFING REQUIRED.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall provide a briefing 
to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
of the House of Representatives with the results of the assessment 
required under subsection (a). 
SEC. 11513. GAO REPORT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall prepare and submit a report to Congress that evaluates the 
processes of the National Maritime Center for processing and 
approving merchant mariner credentials, as of the date of enactment 
of this Act. 
(b) CONTENTS.—In preparing the report required under sub-
section (a), the Comptroller General shall— 
(1) analyze the effectiveness of the merchant mariner 
credentialing process, as of the date of enactment of this Act; 
(2) analyze the backlogs relating to the merchant mariner 
credentialing process and the reasons for such backlogs; and 
(3) provide recommendations for improving and expediting 
the merchant mariner credentialing process, including funding 
needed to support improved processing times. 
SEC. 11514. MILITARY TO MARINERS ACT OF 2022. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the ‘‘Military 
to Mariners Act of 2022’’.
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(b) MODIFICATION OF SEA SERVICE REQUIREMENTS FOR MER-
CHANT MARINER CREDENTIALS FOR VETERANS AND MEMBERS OF 
THE UNIFORMED SERVICES.— 
(1) REVIEW AND REGULATIONS.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, not later than 2 years after the date of enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary shall— 
(A) review and examine— 
(i) the timeframes and impediments for veterans 
and members of the uniformed services to receive a 
merchant mariner credential; 
(ii) the classifications of sea service acquired 
through training and service as a member of the Uni-
formed Services and level of equivalence such service 
has with respect to sea service on merchant vessels; 
and 
(iii) the amount of sea service, including percent 
of the total time onboard for purposes of equivalent 
underway service, that will be accepted as required 
experience for all endorsements for applicants for a 
merchant mariner credential who are veterans or mem-
bers of the Uniformed Services; and 
(B) issue new regulations to— 
(i) streamline, ensure the accuracy of, and expedite 
the transfer, review and acceptance of information per-
taining to training and sea time for applicants for 
a merchant mariner credential who are veterans or 
members of the Uniformed Services; 
(ii) increase the acceptable percentages of time 
equivalent to sea service for such applicants pursuant 
to findings of the review and examination conducted 
under subparagraph (A); and 
(iii) reduce burdens and create a means of alter-
native compliance to demonstrate instructor com-
petency for Standards of Training, Certification and 
Watchkeeping for Seafarers courses. 
(2) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out paragraph (2), the Sec-
retary shall consult with the National Merchant Marine Per-
sonnel Advisory Committee and shall take into account the 
present and future needs of the United States Merchant Marine 
labor workforce. 
(3) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the United States Committee on the 
Marine Transportation System shall submit to the Committees 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and Armed Services 
of the Senate and the Committees on Transportation and Infra-
structure and Armed Services of the House of Representatives, 
a report that contains an update on the activities carried out 
to implement— 
(A) the July 2020 report by the Committee on the 
Marine Transportation System to the White House Office 
of Trade and Manufacturing Policy on the implementation 
of Executive Order 13860 (84 Fed. Reg. 8407; relating 
to supporting the transition of active duty servicemembers 
and military veterans into the Merchant Marine); and 
(B) section 3511 of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (46 U.S.C. 3702 note).
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(c) ASSESSMENT OF SKILLBRIDGE FOR EMPLOYMENT AS A MER-
CHANT MARINER.—The Secretary, in collaboration with the Sec-
retary of Defense, shall assess the use of the SkillBridge program 
of the Department of Defense as a means for transitioning active 
duty sea service personnel to employment as merchant mariners. 
SEC. 11515. DEFINITIONS. 
In this subtitle: 
(1) CREDENTIALED MARINER.—The term ‘‘credentialed mar-
iner’’ means an individual with a merchant mariner credential. 
(2) MERCHANT MARINER CREDENTIAL.—The term ‘‘merchant 
mariner credential’’ has the meaning given such term in section 
7510(d) of title 46, United States Code. 
(3) UNIFORMED SERVICES.—The term ‘‘uniformed services’’ 
has the meaning given the term ‘‘uniformed services’’ in section 
2101 of title 5, United States Code. 
Subtitle C—Other Matters 
SEC. 11516. NONOPERATING INDIVIDUAL. 
Section 8313(b) of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116– 
283) is amended by striking ‘‘the date that is 2 years after the 
date of the enactment of this Act’’ and inserting ‘‘January 1, 2025’’. 
SEC. 11517. OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH VESSELS. 
(a) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation, in con-
sultation with the Secretary, shall submit to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
the Senate a report detailing the total number of vessels known 
or estimated to operate or to have operated under section 50503 
of title 46, United States Code, during each of the past 10 fiscal 
years. 
(b) CONTENTS.—The report required under subsection (a) shall 
include the following elements: 
(1) The total number of foreign-flagged vessels known or 
estimated to operate or to have operated as oceanographic 
research vessels (as such term is defined in section 2101 of 
title 46, United States Code) during each of the past 10 fiscal 
years. 
(2) The total number of United States-flagged vessels 
known or estimated to operate or to have operated as oceano-
graphic research vessels (as such term is defined section 2101 
of title 46, United States Code) during each of the past 10 
fiscal years. 
SEC. 11518. PORT ACCESS ROUTES BRIEFING. 
(a) ATLANTIC COAST PORT ACCESS ROUTE.—Not later than 30 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, and not less than 
every 30 days thereafter until the requirements of section 70003 
of title 46, United States Code, are fully executed with respect 
to the Atlantic Coast Port Access Route, the Secretary shall brief 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and