IIB 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2651 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
OCTOBER 15, 2009 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation 
AN ACT 
To amend title 46, United States Code, to direct the Sec-
retary of Transportation to establish a maritime career 
training loan program, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Maritime Workforce 
Development Act’’. 
SEC. 2. MARITIME EDUCATION LOAN PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 517 of title 46, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘§ 51705. Maritime career training loan program 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Transpor-
tation shall establish a maritime career training loan pro-
gram (in this section referred to as the ‘program’) in ac-
cordance with the requirements of this section. 
‘‘(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the program shall 
be to make maritime career training loans available to eli-
gible students to provide for the training of United States 
mariners. 
‘‘(c) ADMINISTRATION.—The program shall be car-
ried out by the Secretary, acting through the Adminis-
trator of the Maritime Administration. 
‘‘(d) DUTIES.—The Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) allocate, on an annual basis, the award of 
loans under the program based on the needs of stu-
dents; 
‘‘(2) develop an application process and eligi-
bility criteria for the award of loans under the pro-
gram; 
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‘‘(3) approve applications for loans under the 
program based on the eligibility criteria and alloca-
tions made under paragraph (1); and 
‘‘(4) designate maritime training institutions at 
which loans made under the program may be used. 
‘‘(e) DESIGNATION OF MARITIME TRAINING INSTITU-
TIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—In designating maritime 
training institutions under subsection (d)(4), the 
Secretary— 
‘‘(A) may include Federal, State, and com-
mercial training institutions and nonprofit 
training organizations, except that under-
graduate students at the United States Mer-
chant Marine Academy shall not be eligible for 
loans under the program; 
‘‘(B) shall designate institutions based on 
geographic diversity and scope of classes of-
fered; 
‘‘(C) shall ensure that designated institu-
tions have the ability to administer the pro-
gram; and 
‘‘(D) shall ensure that designated institu-
tions meet requirements to provide training in-
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struction for appropriate Coast Guard-approved 
training instruction. 
‘‘(2) EXCLUSIONS.—The Secretary— 
‘‘(A) may exclude from participation in the 
program a maritime training institution that 
has had severe performance deficiencies, includ-
ing deficiencies demonstrated by audits or pro-
gram reviews conducted during the 5 calendar 
years immediately preceding the present year; 
‘‘(B) shall exclude from participation in 
the program a maritime training institution 
that has delinquent or outstanding debts to the 
United States, unless such debts are being re-
paid under or in accordance with a repayment 
arrangement satisfactory to the United States, 
or the Secretary in the Secretary’s discretion 
determines that the existence or amount of any 
such debts has not been finally determined by 
the appropriate Federal agency; 
‘‘(C) may exclude from participation in the 
program a maritime training institution that 
has failed to comply with quality standards es-
tablished by the Department of Labor, the 
Coast Guard, or a State; and 
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‘‘(D) may establish such other criteria as 
the Secretary determines will protect the finan-
cial interest of the United States and promote 
the purposes of this section. 
‘‘(f) STATE MARITIME ACADEMIES.— 
‘‘(1) USE OF FUNDS FOR LOANS TO STUDENTS 
ATTENDING
STATE
MARITIME
ACADEMIES.—The 
Secretary may obligate not more than 50 percent of 
the amounts appropriated to carry out this section 
for a fiscal year for loans to undergraduate students 
attending State maritime academies receiving assist-
ance under chapter 515 of this title. 
‘‘(2) ACADEMIC STANDARDS FOR STUDENTS.— 
Students at State maritime academies receiving 
loans under the program shall maintain satisfactory 
progress toward the completion of their course of 
study as evidenced by the maintenance of a cumu-
lative C average, or its equivalent, or academic 
standing consistent with the requirements for grad-
uation, as determined by the institution. 
‘‘(g) LOAN AMOUNTS AND USE.— 
‘‘(1) MAXIMUM AMOUNTS.—The Secretary may 
not make loans to a student under the program in 
an amount that exceeds $15,000 in a calendar year 
or $60,000 in the aggregate. 
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