(4) ensuring that all information collected with 
respect to applications for new or renewed licenses, 
merchant mariner documents, and certificates of 
registry is retained in a secure electronic format. 
SEC. 19. PILOT REQUIRED. 
Section 8502(g) of title 46, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘and Buz-
zards Bay, Massachusetts’’ before ‘‘, if any,’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) In any area of Buzzards Bay, Massachu-
setts, where a single-hull tanker or tank vessel car-
rying 5,000 or more barrels of oil or other haz-
ardous material is required to be under the direction 
and control of a pilot, the pilot may not be a mem-
ber of the crew of that vessel, and shall be a pilot 
licensed— 
‘‘(A) by the State of Massachusetts who is 
operating under a Federal first class pilot’s li-
cense; or 
‘‘(B) under section 7101 of this title who 
has made at least 20 round trips on a vessel as 
a quartermaster, wheelsman, able seaman, or 
apprentice pilot, or in an equivalent capacity, 
including— 
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‘‘(i) at least 1 round trip through 
Buzzards Bay in the preceding 12-month 
period; and 
‘‘(ii) if the vessel will be navigating in 
periods of darkness in an area of Buzzards 
Bay where a vessel is required by regula-
tion to have a pilot, at least 5 round trips 
through Buzzards Bay during periods of 
darkness.’’. 
SEC. 20. OFFSHORE SUPPLY VESSELS. 
(a) DEFINITION.—Section 2101(19) of title 46, 
United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘of more than 
15 gross tons but less than 500 gross tons as measured 
under section 14502 of this title, or an alternate tonnage 
measured under section 14302 of this title as prescribed 
by the Secretary under section 14104 of this title’’. 
(b) EXEMPTION.—Section 5209(b)(1) of the Oceans 
Act of 1992 (Public Law 102–587; 46 U.S.C. 2101 note) 
is amended by inserting before the period at the end the 
following: ‘‘of less than 500 gross tons as measured under 
section 14502, or an alternate tonnage measured under 
section 14302 of this title as prescribed by the Secretary 
under section 14104 of this title.’’. 
(c) REMOVAL OF TONNAGE LIMITS.— 
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(1) ABLE
SEAMEN-OFFSHORE
SUPPLY
VES-
SELS.—Section 7310 of title 46, United States 
Code, is amended by striking ‘‘of less than 500 gross 
tons as measured under section 14502 of this title, 
or an alternate tonnage measured under section 
14302 of this title as prescribed by the Secretary 
under section 14104 of this title’’. 
(2) SCALE OF EMPLOYMENT: ABLE SEAMEN.— 
Section 7312(d) of title 46, United States Code, is 
amended by striking ‘‘of less than 500 gross tons as 
measured under section 14502 of this title, or an al-
ternate tonnage measured under section 14302 of 
this title as prescribed by the Secretary under sec-
tion 14104 of this title’’. 
(d) WATCHES.—Section 8104 of title 46, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subsection (g), by inserting after ‘‘off-
shore supply vessel’’ the following: ‘‘of less than 500 
gross tons as measured under section 14502 of this 
title, or less than 6,000 gross tons as measured 
under section 14302 of this title as prescribed by the 
Secretary under section 14104 of this title,’’; 
(2) in subsection (d), by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ after 
‘‘(d)’’, and by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to an offshore sup-
ply vessel of at least 6,000 gross tons as measured under 
section 14302 of this title if the individuals engaged on 
the vessel are in compliance with hours of service require-
ments (including recording and record-keeping of that 
service) prescribed by the Secretary.’’; and 
(3) in subsection (e), by striking ‘‘subsection 
(d)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (d)(1)’’. 
(e) MINIMUM
NUMBER
OF
LICENSED
INDIVID-
UALS.—Section 8301(b) of title 46, United States Code, 
is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(b)(1) An offshore supply vessel of less than 6,000 
gross tons, as measured under section 14302 of this title, 
on a voyage of less than 600 miles shall have at least one 
licensed mate. Such a vessel on a voyage of 600 miles or 
more shall have two licensed mates. 
‘‘(2) An offshore supply vessel of more than 200 
gross tons as measured under section 14502 of this title, 
or an alternate tonnage measured under section 14302 of 
this title as prescribed by the Secretary under section 
14104 of this title, may not be operated without a licensed 
engineer. 
‘‘(3) An offshore supply vessel shall have at least one 
mate. Additional mates on an offshore supply vessel of at 
least 6,000 gross tons as measured under section 14302 
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of this title shall be prescribe in accordance with hours 
of service requirements (including recording and record- 
keeping of that service) prescribed by the Secretary.’’. 
(f) REGULATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the depart-
ment in which the Coast Guard is operating shall 
promulgate regulations to implement the amend-
ments enacted by this section and chapter 37 of title 
46, United States Code, for offshore supply vessels 
of at least 6,000 gross tons, before January 1, 2010. 
(2) INTERIM
FINAL
RULE
AUTHORITY.—The 
Secretary shall issue an interim final rule as a tem-
porary regulation implementing this section (includ-
ing the amendments made by this section), and 
chapter 37 of title 46, United States Code, for off-
shore supply vessels of at least 6,000 gross tons, as 
soon as practicable after the date of enactment of 
this section, without regard to the provisions of 
chapter 5 of title 5, United States Code. All regula-
tions prescribed under the authority of this para-
graph that are not earlier superseded by final regu-
lations shall expire not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act. 
(3) INITIATION
OF
RULEMAKING.—The Sec-
retary may initiate a rulemaking to implement this 
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section (including the amendments made by this sec-
tion), and chapter 37 of title 46, United States 
Code, for offshore supply vessels of at least 6,000 
gross tons, as soon as practicable after the date of 
enactment of this section. The final rule issued pur-
suant to that rulemaking may supersede the interim 
final rule promulgated under this subsection. 
(4) INTERIM PERIOD.—After the date of enact-
ment of this Act and prior to the effective date of 
the regulations promulgated to implement the 
amendments enacted by this section under para-
graph (2), and notwithstanding the tonnage limits of 
applicable regulations promulgated prior to the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary may— 
(A) issue a certificate of inspection under 
section 3309 of title 46, United States Code, to 
an offshore supply vessel of at least 500 gross 
tons as measured under section 14502 of title 
46, United States Code, or of at least 6,000 
gross tons as measured under section 14302 of 
title 46, United States Code, if the Secretary 
determines that such vessel’s arrangements, 
equipment, classification, and certifications pro-
vide for the safe carriage of individuals in addi-
tion to the crew and oil and hazardous sub-
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